Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 538 of 19 December 2018, if her attention has been drawn to the fact that talks for the agreement of a new contract have broken down and as such a company (details supplied) will not be the sponsor organisation in 2019; if her attention has been further drawn to an application from another potential sponsor organisation to secure a contract for the provision of job club services in County Sligo to her Department; if other applicant sponsor organisations will be considered to ensure the provision of continued job club services in County Sligo in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1263/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The company concerned has operated a Job Club service in Co Sligo for a number of years under a 12-month fixed term contract which was renewed annually with the Department.

Towards the end of 2018, the company submitted proposals to the Department to enter into a new contract for the provision of this service in 2019. Officials of my Department have met with the company to see if there was a basis for agreement on the matter, namely to allow the company to continue to operate the Job Club service, initially until the end of January 2019, on the same terms and conditions which applied in 2018. However, the company was unable to accept this offer. Despite intensive discussions, it has not been possible for both parties to agree terms which would enable the Job Club to operate in 2019 and the company felt it had no option but to withdraw from operating the service.

No application for the provision of a Job Club service in Co Sligo has been received from another sponsor organisation. However, in order to ensure that jobseekers are fully supported in their efforts to find employment, Department officials are due to meet shortly with management of the local Education and Training Board who have previously indicated that they can provide a broadly similar type service in 2019.

The Department has no plans at this time to invite other organisations to submit proposals to operate the service.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.