John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I refer to Ms Kavanagh's response to my question regarding the engagement with the partnerships to ramp up the ability of the LES to respond to, and cater for, the needs of the unemployed. It is interesting that the LES is the most complimented in the OECD. I know from my interaction with the service that its work is phenomenal. If the witnesses have documentation to back that statement up, it would be useful. The fact that there was no engagement to ramp up the LES's response is unbelievable.

Once people are referred to Seetec or Turas Nua, they are locked in for 12 months initially. The Department says it has examined this and it will bring forward changes to make it easier for people once they are locked in to go back on to a CE scheme, for example. Have there been conversations or communications with the network in this regard? These people should never have been put in JobPath in the first place because inevitably they were going to end up on a CE or an another scheme, which should have been the first port of call. That is where the LES has been so good for many years. It works with the individual, identifies the need, whether that is training, a CE or a Tús scheme, but the problem with JobPath is participants are locked in for 12 months. Has there been engagement with the network regarding these individuals to make it easier for them to come back to it when JobPath is finished with them?

It is bonkers. It is putting the cart before the horse, but I will ask the question anyway.