Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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160. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her review of the local employment services will include a new tendering process. [35356/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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All current contracted public employment services contracts are due to expire on 31 December this year. My Department has therefore been reviewing all contracted provision including that provided by the local employment services with a view to contracting sufficient quality employment service capacity to meet the needs of those who are unemployed. To deliver this capacity my Department is undertaking a two phased procurement of employment services.

A new model, the Regional Employment Service, will ensure multi-annual contracts with a strong focus on outcomes for the long-term unemployed. There has been a deliberate move away from the financial mirco-management of the local employment services contracts and a conscious focus on the need for tenderers to demonstrate the quality of engagements they can offer to the long-term unemployed. The broader geographic lots will ensure services are sustainable whatever the labour market conditions.

The first phase, currently in progress, is the establishment of four Regional Employment Services across seven counties in the North-West and Midlands, in areas that are not currently serviced by a local employment service. This request for tender was published on the 26th of May, with a deadline of the 7th of July.

The second phase of procurement will see the roll-out of the Regional Employment Service model to the rest of the State. This procurement will commence later in the year with a view to having new services in place for January 2022.