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Employment Support Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Questions (323, 324)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

323. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the jobs that are being protected under the new tendering process for local employment. [22296/22]

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Seán Sherlock

Question:

324. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will suspend the process of a new tender for local employment services and establish a formal stakeholder forum and agree a way forward for the provision of these vital services in line with the recommendations from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, Report on the Examination of Employment Services in November 2021. [22297/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 324 together.

My Department is currently undertaking a significant expansion of public employment services.  In particular, specialised employment services for those farthest from the labour market - previously available in just twelve counties - will soon be available State-wide for the first time.  

In the first phase of this procurement, contracts for Intreo Partners - Local Area Employment Services (LAES) were agreed in late 2021 across four lots in seven counties in the Midlands and North-East.  These new services are now operational and accepting referrals.  

Phase two of this process is currently ongoing.  The procurement of phase 2 of the Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Services commenced with the publication of the request for tender on 21 December last. Phase 2 included a proportionate increase over Phase 1 in guaranteed referral numbers, calculated on the basis of ensuring the financial viability of the new employment services with due regard to the cost structures of existing Job Clubs and Local Employment Services in the Phase 2 lot areas.

This procurement was preceded by extensive consultation with all stakeholders, but in particular with the community sector providers and with their representative body the ILDN.  Every existing provider was visited on site by my officials and asked for their views on the way forward for the best provision of employment services, there has also been engagement with the staff representative bodies.  In addition, the external consultants engaged by the Department to assist in the restructuring of these services also and separately from the Department consulted with existing providers.

My Department extended the deadline for the Requests for Tenders to 25 April to ensure all interested parties, including the community sector, will have sufficient time to prepare quality tender responses that reflect their experience and capacity to deliver a quality service. 

Following detailed compliance checks, the tenders received will shortly be evaluated in accordance with procurement regulations and the preferred tenderers notified in due course.  My officials will then proceed to finalising contracts with a view to establishing services at the earliest possible date.

My Department has a responsibility to ensure the provision of legally-sound, high quality employment service for everyone who needs them irrespective of their location or how long they have been unemployed.  This process will ensure, for the first time, that people in all parts of the country will have access to the full range of the Public Employment Service offerings.  This expansion in service provision will be operational in quarter 3 of this year.

It is the nature of competitive procurement that the outcomes depend solely on the quality of tenders received.  My Department's focus has been on ensuring that these employment service procurements place great emphasis on service quality, so as to provide the unemployed person with the most appropriate services and enable existing service providers to submit tenders that reflect their experience and expertise.

Question No. 324 answered with Question No. 323.
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