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

I was hoping to get more than a reference to "shortly", as the latter is difficult to interpret and define. If the extension of the initial services to the four new locations is expected to be rolled out from July, I imagine that the tendering process is due any day now. Perhaps the Minister could provide further details on that.

What concerns me about the Minister's reply is the move to a multi-annual funding approach that pays for each jobseeker referred to the service, which is in essence JobPath. JobPath has failed, is not a quality service and has not served the jobseeker nor the taxpayer well. JobPath has cost the taxpayer €259 million and counting since 2015 whereas the likes of local employment services cost between €17 million and €20 million per year. For a decent number of people who have been referred to it, JobPath has not led to employment that has been sustained for longer than 12 months. Will the Minister provide the House with information on the future of the JobPath service in line with this contract for services?

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