Seanad debates

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

2:30 pm

Photo of Catherine ArdaghCatherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil welcomes the fall in the level of unemployment. Credit must go to the people and businesses that are responsible for the recovery which is due to their resilience, skills, hard work, entrepreneurialism and determination to move forward to secure a better future for themselves, their families and communities. Despite the fall in the level of unemployment, the recovery has not reached all sections of society and thousands remain unemployed, many of whom are long-term unemployed and in danger of remaining at the fringes of society, spectators rather than participants in their communities and society at large. It is clear that a concerted effort must be made to make this an Ireland for all rather than an Ireland for certain people or certain sections of society.

While Fianna Fáil is in favour of measures that support people in getting back into employment, it is imperative that activation measures such as JobPath be holistic in their approach, sensitive to people's needs and do not replicate the mistakes associated with JobBridge. Furthermore, Fianna Fáil does not support programmes that are punitive and coerce jobseekers into taking up unsuitable and inappropriate jobs. It must be recognised that those who are long-term unemployed, or at risk of becoming unemployed, may have a number of issues that make it difficult to enter the labour market. Therefore, it is essential that the Department put checks in place to ensure the two private companies, Seetec Limited and Turas Nua which have been charged with responsibility for delivering JobPath, will be trained in how to deal and aware of factors such as mental health issues, family breakdown and substance misuse that may impact on a person's ability to work. At the heart of any activation programme must be the individual and his or her particular needs. It is important that the Department engage continuously with all stakeholders involved in the activation programme in order to improve it.

The Minister has outlined how the programme works and the benefits associated with it. Some of my colleagues who instigated this debate have raised concerns about JobPath. One of the major concerns is not being able to access community employment schemes as JobPath takes precedence. Concerns have been raised that those who have been referred to JobPath can no longer participate in community employment schemes. Public representatives across the country have received complaints from people who have been offered a place on a community employment scheme but who have subsequently been referred to JobPath and must participate in it rather than take up the place on the community employment scheme. Many of the people who have contacted their public representatives would prefer to take up a place on a community employment scheme which in many instances would be more suitable and appropriate to their needs. It is claimed that JobPath is eroding community employment schemes to the detriment of communities and those who benefit from vital services community employment schemes provide throughout the country.

It has also been reported that those who run community employment schemes cannot fill vacancies because of JobPath. In December 2016 the manager of the Offaly Centre for Independent Living claimed that JobPath was causing untold damage to existing community employment schemes and that there were vacancies on many such schemes that could not be filled. JobPath is being blamed for suffocating them and denying them a supply of staff by removing the referral process and imposing even more stringent constraints within the eligibility criteria. Community employment schemes have grown to develop a great social and economic benefit and we must be mindful of the impact JobPath is having on them. While the goal is to move the majority into full-time, sustainable employment, we need to be cognisant of the fact that a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable for everybody. There is a need for a degree of flexibility in the activation system and an awareness of people's age, skill set and previous experience, as well as their needs and goals. The social welfare system should not completely remove a person's right to choose and should be flexible to allow people, if they have the choice, to choose between a community employment scheme or JobPath.

I note the customer satisfaction survey of participants in JobPath and acknowledge that it is much better than JobBridge. Although the findings are very encouraging in terms of staff friendliness and engagement, there is a lot of room for improvement. I look forward to hearing how the Department will take on the concerns I have raised and improve the scheme.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.