Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2021
34. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to establish a stakeholder forum which would include community organisations, service users, elected representatives, workers’ representatives and academics in view of the ongoing issues in relation to the planned move to a tendering model for local employment services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48654/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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 Phase two procurement, which will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State will take on board the learnings of the first phase. This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers and employee representatives over the last number of years. Officials in my Department also visited every Local Employment Service and Job Club in 2019 to get their views on the design of a new employment service model. Many of the suggestions made then, including multi-annual contracts and greater financial autonomy, were incorporated into the Regional Employment Service model.In addition, the external consultants engaged by the Department in late 2019 engaged a cross-section of relevant stakeholders, including academics, before drafting their report. The existing Local Employment Service contracts are no longer consistent with current best practices. Good governance therefore requires that my Department delivers a new model of employment services which entails enhanced key performance indicators and better visibility of the work of employment service providers. My officials will continue the ongoing dialogue with the stakeholders and employee representatives and will consult further with them before finalising the Phase two procurement. However, my Department must adhere to its public procurement obligations and procure these new high-quality employment services in an open and competitive manner that is fair to all interested parties.The Regional Employment Service model seeks to procure across the entire State a high-quality employment services targeted at supporting those individuals who are furthest from the labour market. It requires successful tenders to submit bids that focus on the quality of their service offering, the social value of their bid and their ability to access a wide range of supports and services to address the barriers to progression their clients may face.
