Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nor is there an exemption that would remove the State's obligation. The Minister spoke earlier about the extensive engagement with the sector, as I mentioned, including visits to every provider and engagement with representatives from the sector. Those engagements have been critical in the approach taken to expand an integrated, high-quality employment service model, while meeting the need to procure services in line with procurement law.

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The design of the regional employment service, which arose from stakeholder engagement, in particular with the ILDN, has been extensive and detailed and has been under way since 2018. Its views, concerns and suggestions have been incorporated into the design of the regional employment service model.

The strong focus on quality of service provision, the social value element and the minimum pricing component all arise from engaging with the sector. We must not forget it was ILDN delegates who repeatedly identified that they alone were uniquely placed to help those most distant from the labour market.

Any reasonable person taking the time to consider what the Minister and Department have done in terms of the design of the regional employment service model and phase 1 procurement can see that it has been designed to enable community providers to compete fairly and ensure that the service is not focused on cost but rather on quality of provision. The key features of the model include a banded pricing structure with a high minimum price, reflecting the actual cost of providing a high-quality service, while preventing uncompetitive predatory pricing. The lot sizes are comparatively small, and I have already mentioned a very heavily weighted focus on social value and community linkages. These are the facts. I reflect what the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is striving to deliver and how accommodating she has been to existing providers. We know from phase 1 that the community and voluntary sector was successful in two of three lots where it submitted tenders. This proves beyond doubt that it can compete successfully under this procurement model. Indeed, where it submits high-quality bids it can and will win. The Department is committed to taking on board the learnings from the first procurement and will seek to amend the phase 2 procurement process.

We have heard many contributions regarding staff in local employment services and job clubs, with which I fully agree. The motion refers to the number of staff in those services, with selective out-takes from the Indecon report. We have also heard the condemnation of the JobPath service as poorly performing, with no mention of the over 480 staff employed in the JobPath service and their dedication to the people they are assisting, despite the Comptroller and Auditor General finding no issue with the JobPath service. In an econometric review, the OECD found it compared to other services. It supported more people into better paid employment, which lasted for longer.

Staying with the staff of existing services, I recognise that there is concern among staff about their employment. However, from phase 1 we know that the community and voluntary sector competed successfully and I have no doubt this will be replicated in phase 2. In the lots where the preferred bidder was from another sector, they have offered employment to the existing job club staff on the same terms and conditions, thereby removing the spectre of unemployment for those individuals. This is a welcome development and ensures that staff can continue to work to provide employment assistance and advice to their communities.

We all agree that employment services are delivered with professionalism by hard-working and committed staff across all of the different services that provide public employment services. The Government is, through the two-phase procurement process, expanding the employment service provision across the State in a manner that seeks to retain its community ethos and procures these services in line with good governance requirements and on a sound legal basis.

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