Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In a previous reply to Deputy Kerrane, the Minister said that we are all here to serve the people, that we are servants and I totally agree. In that context, 14 people who have been elected as Senators or Deputies, across party, have asked for this process to be stalled. Surely that says something. The Minister has said that there is a need to expand but it seems that the Department is on a roller coaster towards expansion. Surely, on the basis of the precautionary principle, the first part should be looked on as a pilot project at the very least. To push ahead with the second phase before the end of this year is not acceptable in the context of all of the issues raised.

In addition, we must learn from the pandemic. The local employment services and jobs clubs are community based. They are on the ground. The Minister knows more about it than I do. That is what we should be focusing on and strengthening. The model that is coming in is on a cost-bid basis as opposed to a cost-needs basis and it is weighted in favour of the bigger, for-profit companies.

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