Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. The programme for Government contained a commitment to use, if necessary, external resources, which does not relate simply to the private sector but could refer to the not-for-profit sector, voluntary organisations or community organisations. The Department already outsources a significant amount of work. I referred to the contract for An Post that we signed before Christmas, which is worth approximately €50 million a year. Particularly in rural areas and smaller towns, we also have social welfare offices which are run by a local service provider who is paid a fee by the Department. The Department has a long record of working with the private sector, the not-for-profit sector, and the voluntary and community sector. This is not a particularly new development. The programme is called JobPath. What we have been doing over the last year is talking to private providers, having taken some advice internationally about how private provision has worked in other countries. In July 2013 we issued a prior information notice in which we advised the market that the Department was considering the potential of contracting third-party providers of employment services. We held two information sessions in July. In December we published a request for tenders. The closing date for the tenders is 28 February 2014. We would expect then to be able to advance the tender process some time at the end of April or May and services, therefore, might commence in late 2014. A lead-in time is allowed to build up for the process.

Members might be aware that the Department of Education and Skills operates a programme called Momentum, which provides educational services. The providers of those services have been from a variety of backgrounds, many from the private sector and some from the public sector and the not-for-profit sector.