Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

JobPath only looks after the long-term unemployed. The situation described by the Deputy does not occur. If he has actual evidence as opposed to anecdotal statements, I suggest he bring that evidence to me. If it did happen, JobPath would be operating outside the terms of its contract. I have had several discussions with the Deputy on this issue and I am always surprised by his view of an organisation that was contracted to activate persons on a long-term unemployment register and help them to find work and which is actually working, as indicated by the fact that jobs have been found for 14% of those who have attended JobPath programmes, significantly ahead of the 8% target. It is paid only if it achieves a positive result. If it does not find a person a job, it is not paid. It is only paid when it finds a job for a person who has been long-term unemployed. If the Deputy can find statistics which show me that it is working outside its remit, I will deal with the matter. However, he cannot escape the fact that this activation programme was established and sub-contracted to two companies who employ 1,000 Irish people to work with other Irish people who are long-term unempoyed in order to find them jobs. That is being done and the programme is working. Up to 81% of the 120,000 who have been through the doors of Turas Nua and Seetec in the past year have a positive attitude towards the service.

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