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

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the experience of JobPath to date has been very positive.

The most recent unemployment figures from the CSO show that the monthly unemployment rate in March 2017 stands at 6.4%. This is a decrease from 8.3% in March 2016 and 9.9% in March 2015, which is a decline of 3.5 percentage points in the past year.

In addition, the CSO's quarterly national household survey reports that there were 2.048 million people in employment at the end of 2016. Employment increased by over 65,000 or 3.3% in the year to the fourth quarter of 2016 and by 2.3% the previous year.

My Department recently published the results of an independent customer satisfaction survey, which indicates that jobseekers feel that they are receiving a good service and that JobPath has improved their chances of securing employment.

Between 76% and 81% of customers were satisfied with the service provided and only between 5% and 8% expressed dissatisfaction. More than 90% of customers reported that JobPath staff made them feel valued and that they had a good relationship with their adviser. They also felt the service had improved their chances of getting a job.

An analysis of employment outcomes for JobPath participants shows they have a higher chance of securing and remaining in a job than participants with a similar duration of unemployment who were not referred to JobPath. Given that only a small number of people have completed their full engagement with the service, these results can only be treated as indicative at this stage. Nevertheless, they are encouraging. Should the Deputy wish to consider the matter in more detail, the results and a copy of the survey findings are available on the Department's website.

My Department will publish similar performance reports for each successive quarter as jobseekers complete their 12-month engagement period and the next set of results to be published in the coming weeks. In addition, my Department will have an econometric review of the JobPath service, which will commence later this year when participant numbers will have reached a sufficient level to support a robust review.

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