Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 18 and 151 together.

JobPath is a new approach to resourcing the delivery of employment services to people who are long-term unemployed. Two service providers, Turas Nua and Seetec, are contracted to work with people who are long-term unemployed. These contractors supplement the work of the Department’s own case officers and the local employment services. JobPath does not replace or substitute for these services. It provides additional capacity to the Department in order that it can extend the case management approach of delivering employment services to people who are long-term unemployed.

Participants on JobPath are not required to fund unreasonable training expenses to compete for jobs for which they are not qualified. On the contrary, participants are provided with a range of training and development supports, including career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. On a case-by-case basis, the service providers also provide funding for items such as personal protective equipment, tools, work clothing and Private Security Authority licences. It may also arrange specific skills training if required by a jobseeker to apply for particular types of jobs. All of these supports are designed to help the jobseeker compete for and secure appropriate employment. If the Deputy has a specific case in mind where a jobseeker was required to incur unreasonable expense, I will arrange to have it investigated by the Department.

To date, 62,000 people have been referred to JobPath. Up to 119 complaints have been recorded, less than 0.2% of referrals. Some 76 complaints have been finalised and 43 are still being processed.

Participants on JobPath have access to the same range of job opportunities as all other jobseekers, including those arising from social clauses in State contracts. Some JobPath participants have already been put forward for jobs on the national children’s hospital contract.

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