Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not a member of this committee but I am a member of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. There is a clear overlap. Ms Gallagher indicated that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is both the path of referral and there may be anxiety about a lack of clarity with respect to the retention of benefits. The committee of which I am a member has had much discussion about how to ensure people are given literacy or educational options when they are in contact with employment services. For example, people may have much anxiety if they are put through the JobPath scheme or they be concerned about losing entitlements. What does a positive or negative invitation to engage with these services look like? How do we ensure that people who may have literacy issues are being identified either by Intreo, the Department or JobPath in order that literacy needs can be addressed rather than a person being moved to a low-skilled job, for example, while he or she still has literacy and numeracy issues that have not been dealt with?

I have a question on pathways that could be addressed to any of the witnesses but particularly Mr. O'Flaherty as he spoke of further education and training. I know many people go to citizen information services when they do not feel they can access information online or understand leaflets. Could citizen information services be potential referral pathways to identify people who may have needs and supports? The figure of 12% of those in need being addressed has been mentioned. Will our guests comment on where they feel resources need to be allocated most in order to achieve the 7% target for people having a secondary education from the current figure of 17%? Is there a flexibility in those schemes? Are they part-time or full-time? What kind of commitment do they require if people are working or managing care needs? Are the schemes working in bringing people who may be harder to reach into the process?

I was struck by the comment about reading a leaflet and the lowest points of literacy. Many people become aware of literacy issues when they fail some bureaucratic test in not getting a form back in time or losing a hospital appointment. Should there be a flagging system when these literacy problems are encountered so that people can be directed to support?

That is instead of just losing out, which is what happens, certainly in terms of people trying to navigate social welfare.