Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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308. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the concerns of local employment service providers in County Kerry and nationwide have been taken into account; the status of her plans for local employment services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5599/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently undertaking a competitive procurement of employment services over two phases. It follows extensive engagement with existing service partners and their representative bodies over the last number of years, including site visits to all current providers and including Kerry's local employment services.

My Department hosted two information sessions for interested tenderers following the publication of both requests for tender (RFT) to date. In addition, last November my officials hosted a webinar that attracted over 150 stakeholders, where a presentation on the procurement process was followed by a 90-minute question and answer session and an invitation to submit views on the content of the Phase 2 request for tender. Representatives from Kerry local employment services attended all these sessions and their views were given due consideration when drafting the Phase 2 Local Area Employment Service RFT.

Enhancements for Phase two include a significant increase in the proportion of minimum referral numbers across all lots being procured in Phase 2, which will provide greater certainty in terms of the financial feasibility of the contracts. In addition, my officials clarified the up-front advances available under the new contracts to assist cash flow for potential tenderers.

Contracts for phase one were signed in December last and new services are now established in seven counties that previously did not have a Local Employment Service (LES). Phase two of the process has commenced, with the publication of the request for tender in December for seventeen lots covering the remaining 19 counties to ensure a Statewide service. Services for this phase will begin in July 2022.