Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The main thing is that protection has been provided and will be maintained for those who deserve it or need it in the relevant sectors. I agree with the Minister that the sectors have to make themselves attractive places to work. Members are aware of the difficulty caused by the fact that families cannot get home care packages because there are not enough home carers. That is a sector we have to facilitate. An element of work is being done by the Government in that regard, but these are the gaps that need to be filled from an employment point of view and a societal point of view.

I will digress slightly, and I apologise for doing so. All Members know the difficulties relating to local employment services. They look after people who are not necessarily low-hanging fruit or ready for the job activation schemes that grab the low-hanging fruit. What information does the Minister have from the Attorney General regarding local employment services? We need to see what leeway there is in respect of the tendering process. It may be necessary to have a conversation with the European Commission on the matter. We have seen that the European Union has been able to bend rules during the pandemic. That might be necessary in the context of delivering a service for people.

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