Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will give further consideration to issues raised in correspondence by a local authority (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47268/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of procuring new employment services. This phase involves the procurement of regional employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West across four lots.  These counties do not have an existing local employment service and represent the first phase of an expansion of similar employment services across.

This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers over the last number of years. 

The Phase two procurement, which will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State, including Monaghan, will take on board the learnings of the first phase. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.

In relation to references to the ‘privatisation’ of employment services, the Department has outsourced services to assist and advise long-term unemployed people since the 1990s. No new privatisation is being undertaken in the current procurement process. No service previously undertaken by civil or public servants is in the process of being shifted to the private sector. Intreo will continue to engage with those unemployed for 12 months or less and, under the July Stimulus and in line with the new Pathways to Work strategy, has been given additional resources to do so.

The Department is in receipt of legal advice from the Attorney General's office that it must procure its employment services in an open and competitive manner in order to meet its legal obligations arising from EU and national procurement rules.

I understand and appreciate the concerns in the sector at the changes to the Local Employment Service model. However, existing service providers with a strong track record and a willingness to cooperate with others in the sector, will be well-placed to submit high-quality tenders for the new services. The new model and its associated procurement process is accessible to the community and voluntary sectors given the model's significant emphasis on service quality and the need to harness local networks and linkages to best support the clients of the new employment service.