Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Government's proposal to consolidate the community-based local employment services into regional employment services will have a devastating impact on existing local services. In my constituency of Dublin North-West, local employment services are provided by the Ballymun Job Centre and similar services are also provided by the Dublin North West Area Partnership in Rosehill House in Finglas. Both have provided an immensely valuable service to the community in helping to assist people in seeking employment and in the creation of jobs and supports for small businesses. These local services provide what the services themselves would describe as a walk-in, person-centred, community-based employment service. The local element of such services is very important and will be totally lost if such services are regionalised. The proposed closure of these centres will be a blow to the clients of such facilities including those seeking employment, the long-term unemployed and those seeking employment who are in addiction or recovery. There will also be a great loss to the community in terms of the local knowledge and experience of those working in these local services. The present model of local employment services works well. Why change something that is not broken? Privatising these services will make such services profit-driven, to the detriment of the individual seeking assistance. I do not see how an unemployed person will benefit from the proposed consolidation of these services. The considered opinion of those with experience in local areas is that this will simply not work. I agree with this view. Centralising resources will mean that local areas will lose out in direct funding. The proposed model has been rejected by stakeholders, expert organisations and the Oireachtas committee. The model lacks transparency, is untested and will be a results-based process that will put profit before people.

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