Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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899. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will ensure that the staff in a disability employment service (details supplied) receive a suitable increase in remuneration to reflect the absence of such an increase since 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16999/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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EmployAbility service providers deliver a key employment service for people with disabilities on behalf of my Department.  The current service provider contracts describe the employment service to be delivered, the duration of the contract and the funding available for delivery.  My Department has agreed contracts with 23 EmployAbility service providers for the provision of services for 2023, based on a bid proposals balanced against the level of service required by the Department and the available funding.  The total value of the contracts for 2023 is €10.9 million.

Under the current contracts, the service providers are responsible for all aspects of the service delivery including the provision of staff and their terms and conditions.  Consequently, EmployAbility staff are not employees of the Department of Social Protection, and as such, the Department is not directly responsible for determining the salaries or employment terms and conditions of EmployAbility staff.

The Department recognises the value, expertise and dedication of the EmployAbility staff in the delivery of an efficient and committed EmployAbility service and regularly engages with service providers on matters of concern as part of the contract management process.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.