Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because a number of other members wish to contribute so time is of the essence.

I support the case being made by the trade unions because I believe we need the local employment service. Why do we need to change something that has worked well for 25 years? As the Department has said, there are procurement issues. My colleague, Deputy Kerrane, mentioned that there is an issue with procurement in many areas. The size of tenders is a major issue for smaller organisations which are not able to meet the criteria.

In Roscommon-Galway, where I come from, the local employment service is necessary because people always fall through the net. There is no question that people will fall through the net and be left behind. I cannot emphasis enough how important this service is in counties such as Roscommon and Galway.

Some people can go for interviews and fail time after time. They may be intelligent and good workers but they just cannot get through the interview process. The local employment service is very important in that context. If we are to treat all the children and people of the nation equally, we need to ensure the service continues.

There is obviously an issue with redundancy costs. My information is that these costs could run to between €10 million and €12 million. In their conversations with the Department, have the trade unions raised this issue and, if so, what has been the response? Redundancy is a significant cost that must be taken into account.

Another issue is that this service is provided by local groups in the charity sector. The new process does not suit them and they cannot apply for the contract with the change that is proposed. The main issue is redundancy because I understand it is a major cost factor.