Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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Okay. The employability scheme is a contracted service, and I have had some interface with this around other job and employment services, for example, JobPath. Senator Wall mentioned they may be asked to re-tender. What are the metrics in terms of when the employability services have to re-tender? How they are assessed and measured? I have a nagging concern about some employment activation services. They may aim to get somebody into employment, and that could be employment in the short-term or poor employment that does not meet the needs of the person. In some services, if that person comes back out of the labour market and avails of the service again, he or she will be double counted. The metrics are set up in such a way that the services are not necessarily directing persons to the most appropriate or best employment. I am not making the case that this is what is happening in terms of employability but I am asking the question. When the services come to re-tender, what metrics are they measured against? What behaviours are we promoting within those contracted services? I might dwell on that one because I have further questions. The Chair will direct me in terms of time but I think this is-----