Ms Anne Fitzgerald:

On local development companies, we have prepared a model for local company-led employment services. We will circulate it as a paper. I will briefly cover some of the key points made within it.

There was a point made about local development companies, of which there are 49. We are non-profit bodies to be found in every community in Ireland. We are to be found in every urban and rural setting. We reach into every parish and group. We have national coverage that the Department has identified as a priority in the delivery of employment services. We have the necessary infrastructure which can also deliver economies of scale because we have the capacity and staffing required. We can do with more in the areas in which the LES is not funded. That service is only to be found in 25 locations. With a little additional investment, we could upscale to expand and provide services in the counties in which there none available, including Roscommon and Leitrim.

An important aspect of the local development companies is their boards which are made up of employers, representatives of trade unions, healthcare and education services and local bodies. Local public representatives also constitute part of the boards. We have that local knowledge and investment. Local development companies are both big and small enough.

I refer to all of the research conduction into social inclusion which is the core purpose of local development companies which are not-for-profit bodies. They do not provide employment services only. They do not provide education and disability services only. They deal with all matters pertaining to the promotion of social inclusion. That is important because it speaks to the need for the wrap-around services the most excluded in society require. They require services throughout their lifespan which local development companies can offer on an integrated basis. That means providing services for the families and households with which we are interacting and which include early years education, preschool, national school and secondary school services, as well as in making the transition to third level and in working with young people who are early school leavers. It is not that we do one thing - the purpose of this meeting is to look at employment services - we do much more in working with those most distant from the labour market. When one works with people most distant from the labour market, one misses the impact of all of the other factors mentioned. What is unique about the local development companies is their ability to work with such persons throughout their lifespan.

We are non-profit bodies. What does that mean? We do not make a profit, but in one sense we do. It is the social benefit that accrues from our work to the communities we serve. It is not a cash dividend for shareholders but a social benefit for communities, individuals and citizens of the State.

We were asked what we needed to do. We are at a crossroads. As a society we have to decide the services we will provide. It is a matter of political will in deciding which model we will choose. That is why this opportunity to present to the committee is of considerable value. It is a political choice as to whether we will go for the for-profit or stick with the non-profit model.

On public procurement, there is a mixed view. In late 2017 the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection went to tender with a national programme for persons with disabilities. We deal with the programme, although not always under the headings under which funding is available. Under our programme headings, it is an important target group. There was a public procurement process for the national ability programme which was restricted to non-profit companies. Therefore, as late 2017, there was a precedent for how we should do it.

I emphasise that we have wrap-around services throughout a person's lifespan and can demonstrate the outcomes. We have an evidence base for our work that has been established by the capacity of staff and their strengths over 20 years. We have the infrastructure to deliver.