Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will return to the procurement question. There is a case to be made for alternatives but I accept this is the route the Minister is looking at. The social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, was restricted to not-for-profit and other similar services. Is that a capacity within the tendering process? I am serious when I say that there are spaces for human services where not-for-profits are better able to be responsive.

I welcome that the Minister has referred to choice being offered to the person who is being assisted. What weighting would be given to quality if this procurement process is pursued? Quality of training of staff had a low weighting in the JobPath process. It is vital that a high weighting is given to quality and different quality measures. That is different from the paper performance which is about the outcome.