Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for taking the time to deal with this matter, which concerns the local employment service. My understanding is that over 300 people are employed in the service. Their role was to assist people to find employment but the one good complaint now is that the number of people who are back at work has increased dramatically. Unemployment has come down from 15.1% to 6.6% and, as a result, they are now complaining that they do not have work and they are concerned about their future role. Those people are anxious to have their role clarified in terms of the workload. My understanding is that as a result of the JobPath programme we are having huge success getting people into employment but the question is about the future for those employed in the service. Where does the Minister see their position in the next two to three years? It is in that context that I raise this issue.