Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Senator Murphy, for reading that letter into the record. I will bring the issues of concern to the attention of the Minister.

Earlier this year, the Government published its employment services strategy, Pathways to Work 2021-2025, which contains commitments to expand the capacity of our public employment service. The strategy also provides for an increase in resources that will deliver the regional employment service across the entire State.

In late 2019, the Department of Social Protection commenced a review of the public employment service delivered by it and its service partners. Following on from this review, and in line with the commitments in the Pathways to Work strategy and the Indecon reviews, the Department is making changes to how it contracts external services, including those currently provided by the local employment service, jobs clubs and JobPath. The Department has engaged extensively with the sector about these changes.

The existing arrangements for the LES and jobs club services extend back over 20 years without any formal procurement taking place. This is in contravention of good governance and public procurement practice. The Attorney General has advised that these services must be procured in line with EU and national public procurement rules by means of open and competitive tendering processes. The Department has, therefore, commenced a two-phased procurement process, which will see the delivery of a new national employment service and a regional employment service to replace the employment services delivered by the Department's current service partners.

The new regional employment service will deliver tailored employment services for those furthest from the labour market and for the first time these services will be available across the entire State. The regional employment service will deliver enhanced governance oversight and ensure that those individuals who need access to employment supports and services will receive tailored high-quality services irrespective of where they live in the State. The Indecon Review of Jobs Clubs published in 2018 recommended the integration of jobs clubs and local employment services into one service provision. Therefore, it is not intended to contract for jobs clubs beyond 2021 in areas covered under phase 1 of the procurement process. These areas will be covered by the new regional employment service from the start of 2022.

Existing jobs clubs in phase 2 areas - such areas cover 19 counties - are being given a new contract for six months - from January to June 2022 - for the specific purpose of providing them with additional time to work collaboratively with other organisations on submitting a joint bid under phase 2. The Department intends that the request for tenders for the regional employment services, under phase 2, will be published before the end of this year.

Organisations that submitted tenders under the phase 1 procurement were notified of the outcome of the process earlier this month. A standstill period is currently in operation and the Department cannot comment further until that has concluded.

This process of procuring a regional employment service places a premium on ensuring a quality service that is delivered by capable and experienced practitioners who focus on accession local supports for their clients. In areas where jobs clubs may be unsuccessful in competing for the new services, new service providers would do well to avail of the existing skill sets already available in their areas and look to employ these individuals.

The Department's objective is to expand the provision of employment service capacity. Another objective is to deliver high-quality employment services that are designed to meet individual's employment assistance and support requirements.