Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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6. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress made in the implementation of the JobPath scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1203/16]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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The question asks how JobPath, another of the so-called labour activation measures that have become the stock in trade of the Government, is progressing. Under this scheme, work done previously by FÁS is being outsourced to two large multinational companies, which will bully and harass people on the dole to ensure they accept work of any kind. The companies to which the Department awarded the contracts have a very poor track record in the United Kingdom.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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JobPath is a new approach to employment activation to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. Two companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, have been contracted by the Department to deliver JobPath services.

The roll-out of JobPath began last July on a soft launch basis in Bray and Longford. At the end of 2015, in excess of 7,500 jobseekers from 41 of the Department's Intreo centres and local offices had been referred to JobPath. It is expected that the roll-out of the scheme to the remaining locations will be undertaken by the end of March.

Jobseekers who are selected for JobPath are invited to attend an initial information session, jointly hosted by the Department and the JobPath company, at which the jobseekers’ rights and responsibilities are explained. Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help them address barriers to employment and find jobs. Each person is assigned a personal adviser who assesses their skills, experience, challenges and work goals and agrees a personal progression plan that includes a schedule of activities, actions and job focused targets. Participants are provided with a range of development supports and may also be referred for further education and training opportunities. They will spend a year on JobPath and if placed into a job, they will continue to receive support for at least three months and up to 12 months while in employment.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is unbelievable that the Labour Party has privatised and outsourced a function that was being carried out by FÁS. The reason given for doing so is that a recruitment embargo has been in place in recent years. It is laughable that the Department charged with creating employment cannot create jobs in the public sector.

The companies to which the Department awarded the contracts, Turas Nua and Seetec, have been involved in scandals in the United Kingdom where they defrauded the government. They were found to have made fraudulent claims that they were unable to back up. An investigation found that 30% of the claims submitted could not be verified and at least 10% were false. Nevertheless, the Government has awarded contracts to these companies.

The second problem I have with JobPath is that it puts a price on the heads of unemployed people. The companies in question are only interested in profit and their profits increase every time they have someone removed from the dole. There is nothing about the types of jobs they create. This is very poor form on the part of the Labour Party.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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What we are doing is very different from what was done in the United Kingdom and, as such, it is wrong to make comparisons. The baseline measurements, for example, are completely different. Further, one of the companies involved is a not-for-profit entity.

I visited the two pilot projects in Bray and Longford.

I made it my business to not only to meet the staff working there, who were assisting and helping to prepare personal progression plans, but also to meet the people who have access to the facility in that regard. This reminds me of the type of attack first put together in respect of Tús, which has been remarkably successful. Then, I was lobbied heavily, including by Members of the Opposition, to extend Tús to be self-referring. I expanded it to 20%.

We have had an unemployment crisis. We had over 15% of people unemployed. Thankfully, we are now down to 8.8%. As we move out of recession and into recovery I want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to share in that recovery as well as the opportunity to work with people to ensure they can get the skills and access the opportunities that are now coming into the economy. I am very keen for that to take place.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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It is very strange that the Government would award this to companies that were under investigation in the United Kingdom. There was no investigation until whistleblowers came forward from within those companies to back up the stories of disabled and unemployed people who were knocked off the dole and forced into jobs that they could not do. There have been countless cases in Britain of disabled people who were assessed by similar companies. They were considered to be not trying or not looking hard enough and had penalties applied to their dole. Basically, the scheme is compulsory.

These companies get paid a referral fee for each person they get taken on. However, there is no quality control in terms of the type of work that people are being allocated or the amount of travel involved for the person in taking that job. There is no minimum age mechanism and such like.

The mantra of this Government is that the best way out of poverty is a job but the best way out of poverty is no longer a job, not with the type of jobs the Government is creating. We have now become the second highest ranking country for low pay. Many of the jobs are impossible for people to survive on. The Government has demeaned and made more undignified the whole concept of work with these schemes by forcing people, young people in particular, to take up work for free or for €50 per month. That is the mantra and the lesson of this Government.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Deputy Coppinger has her own mantra. If we look at the figures we can see that the vast majority of people who are moving back into employment are moving from part-time to full-time work. The vast majority of people moving into employment are moving into well-paid jobs, not jobs at minimum pay.

I know the Deputy always wants to find the worst in everything. However, I put it to her that this is not a UK scheme. This is designed to operate in Ireland to an Irish model. Everything is paid on the basis of performance but there is also an engagement with our clients to ensure satisfaction is received from the clients. Deputy Coppinger spoke at length about the disabled and disability but that does not apply in this case

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Not yet.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Deputy Coppinger spent a good deal of time referring to it but it does not apply. The Deputy is criticising what I believe is a good initiative to assist long-term unemployed people who lost their jobs at the beginning of the recession or who came out of college or school and were unfortunate not to get employment. Now, there will be a support service that will assist, help to build people's confidence and work with them to get back into employment.

The idea that we should not help people back into work is wrong.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you. I have to move on to the next question.

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I want to ensure this works. I will work hard to ensure that as many of the people I represent as possible have an opportunity to share in the recovery by going out to work.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I do not know why the Tánaiste is not answering the questions. She is whispering everything into the ear of the Minister of State.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I have no control over that.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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She is choosing not to answer