Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 94: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the main review in the audit of the welfare code to ensure its compatibility with the Equal Status Act 2000 has gone to tender; if an applicant has been selected to carry out the review; and the timeframe for same. [15326/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The purpose of the review of the social welfare code, which is currently being undertaken in my Department, is to examine its compatibility with the Equal Status Act, 2000 (as amended). The review will examine the schemes and services provided for in social welfare legislation and in the administrative schemes operated by the Department. It will identify any instances of direct or indirect discrimination, on any of the nine grounds under the Act, that are not justified by a legitimate social policy objective or where the means of achieving that objective are either unnecessary or inappropriate.

A decision was taken that the review would take place in two phases. Phase 1 involved the undertaking of a scoping exercise to establish the most appropriate approach and methodology to carrying out the main review, which would be robust and verifiable. Phase 1 is completed and the request for tender for the main review (Phase 2) was prepared using the material produced in Phase 1.

The request for tender for the main review issued on 17th April 2007. It was placed on the Government e-tender website and in the Official Journal of the European Union. The closing date for receipt of tenders is 28th May 2007, in accordance with EU regulations. It is expected that the contract will be awarded in June 2007, with the appointed consultant to commence work no later than October 2007. Tenderers have been requested to indicate their timeframe for delivery of the review in their response to the request for tender.