Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 8 and 241 together.

My colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, who has overall responsibility for public procurement has advised the House that it has been decided to adopt a targeted approach to the inclusion of a social clause in public works contracts in the context of the Government's €2.25 billion stimulus programme. The public private partnership, PPP, element of the programme, at some €1.5 billion, will require an estimated workforce of 13,000. This offers an excellent opportunity to target the long-term unemployed. In order to avoid displacing existing workers, the focus will be on contracts where employers are likely to be hiring additional workers. 

The National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, is leading the implementation of the measure, initially through the devolved schools programme which it is managing on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.  It has commenced tendering for a number of schools which will act as a pilot for the introduction of the social clause.  In essence, the clause will require contractors to ensure 10% of the “person weeks” required to deliver the contract will be performed by individuals recruited from the ranks of the long-term unemployed and that 2.5% of the “person weeks” take the form of a registered scheme of apprenticeship or similar national training or educational work placement arrangement.  The performance of the clause will be reviewed during the operation of the pilot and, subject to its satisfactory operation, included in the wider PPP programme. 

Regarding the application of a social employment clause within my Department's capital programme, I am happy to announce that the National Roads Authority, NRA, which is responsible for the largest portion of the capital programme intends to incorporate a social clause into the roads PPP programme. Specific projects envisaged are the N25 New Ross bypass PPP and the M11 Gorey-Enniscorthy PPP.  The NRA will work closely with the NDFA and take account of the experience and results of the pilot programme under way. Depending on the success of the clause, there are other elements of my Department's capital programme which could adopt this approach, including the development of the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Blanchardstown.

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