Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2024
35. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the tender for EmployAbility which was due to be published in April 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18471/24]
View answerMy Department undertook a procurement process in 2023 to update the EmployAbility service in order to comply with legal advice from the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and to meet the Department’s objective of shifting emphasis from financial monitoring of service providers to focusing on service quality for clients.
Stakeholder engagement was a key aspect of the procurement process with my officials having met with each EmployAbility service provider individually. In addition, in May of 2023, I met with the Chairs of all EmployAbility companies in order to hear their views on the forthcoming process. The Request for Tender (RFT), which issued in September 2023, was drafted having regard to feedback received from these stakeholder engagements.
The evaluation of bids took place in December 2023 and contracts have been awarded in respect of all twenty three lots.
The new EmployAbility service is now operational in all lot areas and my Department is currently engaging with the new service providers to ensure the seamless transition of clients to the new service. The new model for EmployAbility will enhance the autonomy of service providers to enable them to more effectively provide a high-quality supported employment service for people with disabilities.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
