Ms Lynn Coffey:

When we met with Department officials last week there was an acknowledgement that there would be job losses as a result of this tender. There did not seem to be much hope, or thought, at all for the people who had provided this service for the past 25 years and who had invested so much of their time into the communities.

On the existing LES and the annual turnover issue, the companies have charitable status and will not have the money upfront to go forward for tenders. I said that previously. In an effort to keep it quick, I will not rehash what I said.