I want to talk to the Taoiseach about the proposed move to put EmployAbility services throughout Ireland out to public tender in April. EmployAbility companies throughout Ireland have been successful in sourcing employment for people with a disability or for people with a mental illness and they have been doing that for years. I have met numerous people who have availed of this service. They have gone from barely being able to get out of bed to proper full-time employment and vibrant lives. The success rate of the service is immense. EmployAbility West Cork is a perfect example. It has been providing the service with dedication, passion and, above all, experience for years. It is unthinkable that a company like that would lose out through a public tender process. I am asking the Taoiseach to review this. If a company is not performing or getting results, by all means its contracts should be reviewed but other than that I ask the Taoiseach to review this and pause this move to a public tender process.

I am not across the detail of this so I will have to ask the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, to engage directly with the Deputy. As a general point, I do not think people should be afraid of competition or going out to tender. I have seen this happen with other services and in the vast majority of cases the existing provider got the contract because it was doing a good job. In some cases it did not get it because it was not doing a good job. People should not be afraid of being accountable and being held to a bit of scrutiny. They should not be afraid of the possibility that they could lose the job if they are doing a good job.