Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I represent the constituency that has the highest number of unemployment black spots in the State. Eight of the top ten unemployment black spots are in Limerick city. I recently commissioned a report on unemployment black spots across the State and it makes for stark reading. Many people rely on the local employment services in Limerick. They have done a great job and would have done a much better job with even a portion of the funding given annually to JobPath in its different incarnations. These services are vital to many Limerick communities. They are a crucial service particularly for those who are furthest away from the labour market. Aside from providing the necessary skills people need to get back into the labour market, they also offer hope. We have yet to see the external review conducted on behalf of the Department of Social Protection on the basis of which the request for tender was introduced in May. The Minister has demonstrated her intention to privatise employment services and undermine the not-for-profit ethos of the existing services. This is a mistake and I think the Minister knows that. The Government is putting profit margins before the well-being of those who have been marginalised. Limerick deserves better as the black spots I referenced earlier are nothing new. Over six years, €275 million was spent and only 7% of those on the scheme found employment for a year or more. Can the Minister imagine the effect it would have had if the local employment services had a fraction of that €275 million?

The Minister stated that she was obliged for good governance and by public procurement rules to put the LES contract out to tender. There was no need to take this approach, and no need to approach the tender process in this way. While employment services should be extended across the State, that should be done under the current LES model, which, if funded, that model will deliver better results. In Limerick, over the years, the People Action Against Unemployment Limited, PAUL, Partnership, of which I was a board member for several years, has done a fantastic job with the LES scheme. I hope to God that we save it.

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