Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
118. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify what if any provisions her Department has made for dealing or absorbing current LES staff who may lose their positions as a result of the tendering process for those services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24561/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department been engaged in the restructuring and procurement of externally contracted employment services since 2019. There has been extensive consultation with existing contractors and representative bodies including the Irish Local Development Network and trade union organisations.The Department is in receipt of legal advice requiring a competitive procurement for these services and the measures that the Department has undertaken to ensure that existing providers can compete competitively for these services, as evidenced in the outcome of the first phase of procurement.
Last year my Department issued Requests for Tender for the new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service and this year in phase 2 has issued two further requests for tender for Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Services and Intreo Partners National Employment Services. The procurement of these services is ongoing and the outcome of the procurement is at this time unknown. My Department has offered an extension of contracts to existing providers of LES and Job Clubs until the end of August this year and many contractors have already accepted this offer.
Where existing employers choose not to bid for these services, are unsuccessful in the procurement process or decline the offer of a contract extension and are unable to finance redundancy payments to their staff, then my Department's Redundancy and Insolvency service will, in accordance with the governing legislation, be able to make provision for statutory redundancy payments for any affected staff.
