Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

9:30 am

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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Therefore, that will not be continuing.

I have two other questions. Mr. McKeon spoke about the services that are already contracted out - Tús, JobBridge and Job Clubs I believe. At previous meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts I have outlined to Mr. McKeon my unhappiness with some of the offerings regarding JobBridge. I know that is at an end or coming to an end. It does not reassure me that because they have been contracted out in the past, we will do it again in terms of the interaction claimants and people who are on welfare have. I have direct experience with my own local employment service, which I have found very good and pretty much centred on the individual. I have seen people ending up in work which is what we all want to achieve as a consequence of that kind of one-to-one interaction. I share Deputy McAuliffe's concerns about that local dimension being lost with what is happening. There is a potential loss of some of the practices that have built up over the years. To what extent has that aspect been looked at? I know there have been reports, including the Indecon report.