Skip to main content
Normal View

Departmental Correspondence

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

Questions (393, 406)

Brendan Smith

Question:

393. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will give consideration to matters raised in correspondence from Monaghan County Council (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55931/21]

View answer

Niamh Smyth

Question:

406. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review correspondence (details supplied); if she will meet with staff on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56163/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 406 together.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge the work of Local Employment Service and Job Clubs providers across the State.

My Department has been given clear legal advice from the Chief State Solicitors Office and the Attorney General that the contracting of these services is unsustainable in its current form and there must be a competitive procurement for future public employment services. My Department cannot ignore this legal advice and note that this is also in line with good governance and best practice.

There has been extensive engagement in relation to this matter, both at Ministerial and official level since 2019. In addition to site visits by officials to every contracted public employment service in the State, including Monaghan, there has been continual engagement with stakeholders through numerous meetings with the representative body, the ILDN, and other stakeholders.

My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots. These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of similar employment services across the State.

I can assure the Deputies that no new privatisation is being undertaken in relation to employment services. No service previously undertaken by civil or public servants is being outsourced. Local Employment Services and Job Clubs have always been contracted out services and provide employment services for those who are long term unemployed.

The Phase two procurement, which will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State will consider the learnings from the first phase. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time. These new services were due to commence at the start of next year. However, on foot of requests for additional time from the sector to facilitate existing providers working collaboratively to submit joint tenders, the commencement of these new employment services under phase two has been postponed by six months until July 2022. It is intended that the Requests for Tenders will issue by the end of this year but additional time for submissions has now been included in the revised timeline.

My Department will continue to consult with its service partners prior to the finalisation of the Phase two procurement process.

Top
Share