Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that FÁS has commenced a tendering process for vocational training services for persons with disabilities; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that most European countries have excluded these services from the public procurement process in order to meet the support needs of persons with disabilities who are very distant from the labour market; if he support this decision by FÁS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19591/13]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tendering guideline documents for specialist training provision are currently being developed by FÁS to enable a procurement pilot to take place. The pilot is being undertaken as a result of a policy decision in 2010, on foot of legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General that in view of the large value of the contracts involved, they should be advertised and a public tendering process should be put in place.