Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the LES issue. The rural Deputies have addresses the rural element of this document. I am deeply concerned. I have spoken to a number of agencies that are involved with the LES. The Minister is aware of and spoke earlier about the wrap-around services provided by the old partnerships, as I and most people would know them as, which are involved with the LES. They provide a service that deals with the emotional aspects of the work, that is, the health and well-being of the individual and not just the employment.

I am really worried that this drive towards the privatisation of this service is not in the interests of the citizens who will use it. It will be driven by profit and by the desire for a company to make money. That is deeply worrying.

The comments the Minister has made worry me even more. I cannot for the life of me understand why we would move from a model that departmental officials recently told the Committee of Public Accounts was working well. Indecon Economic Consultants and the ESRI both said what is happening at the moment in terms of the LES is working well.

Even recently, when we talk about moving from a net-cost to a cost bid model, many organisations, such as Empower in my constituency of Dublin West, won a contract for the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP. Why can we do SICAP using the net-cost model? Why is the Minister then claiming that we are being forced to go to a cost bid model for the LES? It does not make sense. I back Deputy Joan Collins with regard to getting a dedicated meeting on this. Let us get experts in to really determine how and why this is being driven in this manner.