Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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538. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if clarification will be provided on the future of funding for a service (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24088/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in addition, to expand the coverage of the local employment type services to areas not currently covered by existing providers. My Department has already increased its own complement of employment service staff and now intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment type services into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist.

The forthcoming RFT will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas, including the Tralee LES, and it is expected that the tender will prove attractive to local community-based organisations, including the Local Development Companies. My Department has obtained legal advice that employment assistance and advice services must be procured though open competitive procurement processes in line with EU and national procurement rules.

Separately, the current contracts for all contracted PES provision, including that of the Tralee LES, expire at the end of 2021 and my Department is therefore developing RFTs to ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules.

Organisations with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to the RFTs when they issue.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.