Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I jested that the Deputy did not believe me, but I know he did not believe me. I met the Irish Local Development Network, ILDN, just before Christmas. I attended its annual conference and spoke to the members. When anybody issues a report on a person's work and it is not exactly to his or her liking, he or she will be afraid. However, I assured the network then, and I did so previously in this committee, that the people in our partnership organisations, the ILDN, and the people who run our jobs clubs, the local employment services and the CV clubs all provide valuable services to unemployed people in this country. That might change in the new iteration of activation and supports we need, which we are examining and assessing. Challenges today are different from what they were. The ILDN and its staff are placed to address those challenges because they have access to other funds that do not come from our Department, such as social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, funding, which allows them to provide extended services for people who might have anxiety or social discourse issues. There are a new range of issues, challenges and barriers facing people today in terms of having and not having a job. The services the State provides must reflect and support those challenges. The organisations in the report by Indecon are one leg of a three-legged stool, and we would not be able to provide the services, and this was the case historically and will be in the future, without their help, support, guidance, intelligence and empathy. They are a vital part of our service and they are not going anywhere.