Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know the Department is not the employer of the staff. I am sure the WRC knows that as well, but it has still invited representatives of the Department to attend the exploratory talks. It is disappointing that Turas Nua, which has won this contract, is failing to grant recognition. It may have had meetings and discussions but it is not willing to recognise SIPTU for collective bargaining agreements and purposes.

The Minister said the existing job clubs in Laois and Offaly had not applied. The Minister will be aware, however, that no job club survived the first tender process. She will also know, as she said it herself, that lessons were learned from the first tender process. Clearly, in many cases in that first tender process the local employment services and job clubs could not tender. That must be acknowledged, and the Minister will know it from speaking to people from the local employment services and job clubs on the ground. They were not in a position to tender in the first phase. While the next tender has had some improvements made to it, it means those involved in the first phase are now gone from the process. They are wiped out and that is also disappointing.

I ask the Minister to look at this issue, particularly regarding SIPTU’s collective bargaining involvement and the Department’s role in the context of being invited to talks by the WRC.

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