Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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145. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she plans to meet with representatives of local employment job schemes in relation to the proposed tendering of services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34949/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In the context of my Department procuring public employment services and its future plans there has been extensive engagement over the past 3 years with all external providers of public employment services, including the Local Employment Services.

More recently both I and my officials have had significant engagement in recent months with the Irish Local Development Network, the representative body of the majority of local employment services. My Department has worked to keep them informed on the direction of reforms to the Department's contracted public employment service model in the lead up to a major procurement process.

As the Deputy is aware, phase one of this procurement process is now underway. A request for tender for employment services in the North-East and Midlands was published on 26 May, with a deadline of 7 July for the receipt of tenders.

In line with established guidelines, ministerial or departmental engagement with potential tenderers during a live procurement process would not be appropriate.

However, I do wish to make it clear that I and my officials will of course be happy to continue to engage with the ILDN and other stakeholders outside the current procurement window.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.