Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has stated that not everyone is going to JobPath, but more people are being referred to it than to any other scheme. That has been the case for a number of years.

Regarding the more than 280,000 people who have been referred, the success rate where a job is sustained for longer than 52 weeks is 7%.

I welcome the Minister's acknowledgement that the referral fee of €311 is paid twice where a person is referred twice. That is a large amount of money just for sending a person to the same scheme twice.

I really do not think that is value for money. I appreciate what the Minister said with regard to not seeking reports through legislation but, unfortunately, there does not seem to be any other way to do so. Perhaps she will consider producing the report without having to do so through legislation because JobPath is having an impact on other schemes. Those involved with those schemes will tell the Minister that. JobPath is costing the taxpayer a huge amount of money. More people are being referred to it than any other scheme. I ask the Minister to reconsider.

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