John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many concerns have been raised regarding Seetec's performance in the United Kingdom, including allegations of substantial fraud. What was the outcome of these allegations? Did the Department have concerns regarding the tendering process and the fact that Seetec tendered?

It has been brought to my attention that in some cases involving people who were locked into JobPath for 12 months and found a job independently, the provider, either Seetec or Turas Nua, contacted the employer and subsequently claimed to have secured the job to obtain a sustainment payment. Is the Department aware of this practice and, if so, has it examined and investigated cases of fraudulent claims for which payments have been made?

A common practice in place over many years is what is known as parking and creaming. Parking refers to not dealing with individuals who may be long-term unemployed or living further away from employment and creaming refers to actively pursuing and progressing easier cases to find employment for them and secure sustainment payments. What rules have been introduced to prevent this practice?