‘For profit’ community services don’t work says Sherlock

Labour TD for Cork East and Spokesperson on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, Seán Sherlock, expressed serious concerns this week over reports that a US multinational is actively expressing interest in providing local employment services in Ireland.

“The focus on local employment services should never be on the financial bottom line but on improving and enhancing peoples’ lives who use such services. We need immediate clarity on the nature of the relationship between the Department and this US multinational, especially as those who work in local employment, both as providers and users, view such reports with trepidation,” Deputy Sherlock said.

“We don’t want social services provided on a “for profit” basis. We believe there must be a holistic approach to reduce the hardship of unemployment on families by ensuring that providers with institutional and geographical knowledge are not thrown to one side in the pursuit of excessive financial dividends for shareholders.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with SIPTU, Fórsa and the Irish Local Development Network representatives who have been leading a fight back against this push for the privatisation of employment services and support their calls for the Taoiseach to intervene” Deputy Sherlock concluded.