John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At this stage, over 97,000 people have been transferred to JobPath and the private companies Turas Nua and Seetec. Community employment schemes across the State are in serious trouble not just because of the creation of JobPath but also because the lack of funding has thrown open a series of other challenges for community employment schemes. It is not just the low unemployment rates that are the driving factor in places not being filled, it is also the over-reliance on JobPath. The fact that more than 97,000 people have been referred to JobPath is having a serious impact. That is not just my view, it is also the view of the community employment reform group. People who are operating on the ground with the schemes are saying many places are not being filled as a direct result of JobPath. I heard the Minister's comments on broadening the criteria for participating in the schemes, but if people are referred to and locked into JobPath in the first place, they will not be available to fill places.

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