Ray Butler (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “That Seanad Éireann:” and substitute:"recognises:

- the significant progress made by this Government in reducing the number of people on the live register through its management of the economy over the past number of years;

- the achievements of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in moving from a passive income provider of social welfare supports for working age people to an organisation that is now focused on helping unemployed people find work;

- the use of contracted service providers such as local employment services, JobClub providers and JobPath service providers alongside its own Intreo service has enabled the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to reduce the ratio of jobseekers to case officers from over 2,000:1 to about 200:1 and to increase the number of jobseekers who have access to case officer support;

- that the JobPath service providers are focused on delivering an intensive activation service tailored to the needs of long-term unemployed jobseekers;

- that JobPath service providers are required under contract to offer jobseekers a customer service guarantee covering matters such as the allocation of a dedicated case officer, frequency of engagement with case-officers, access to training in CV, interview and other skills, a transparent complaints process and post-employment support for a period of at least three months and up to 12 months following commencement of employment;

- that jobseeker satisfaction with the service offered by JobPath providers, as measured in independent customer satisfaction surveys, is high and that employment outcomes are ahead of target with people using the service up to 34% more likely to secure employment than people who are not engaged with the service;

- that the JobPath service contracts were awarded following a competitive public procurement exercise and that the service period for these contracts extends to 2020;

- that to publish the detail of the individual fees secured under this public tender process would place the State at a disadvantage in any future procurement exercise;

- that funding and staffing levels for local employment services have been maintained and that the availability of JobPath has enabled the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to reduce the caseloads carried by the local employment service so that it too can provide a more intensive service to individual jobseekers;

- that cancellation or suspension of the service would immediately result in a significant diminution in case officer services to unemployed jobseekers, the loss of up to 700 jobs among JobPath service provider staff and, in the absence of due cause warranting such a cancellation prior to 2020, could create a significant financial exposure for the State; and

welcomes the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s commitment to continue the JobPath service and to commission a full econometric evaluation of the service later this year."

The State's public employment service is managed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and is delivered directly by the Department's Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies such as JobPath, local employment services and job club providers. The Department has contracts in place with more than 60 companies for the provision of these services. These include two contracts with JobPath service providers Turas Nua and Seetec.

JobPath provides activation services specifically tailored to the needs of long-term unemployed people. JobPath is a new contract model whereby the providers are paid by the results, with the results being measured in terms of sustained employment outcomes for the jobseekers. Outcome supplement payments are made in respect of employment of a minimum of 30 hours per week sustained for a minimum period of up to 13 weeks. Up to four outcome payments in respect of each employment outcome can be made covering a period of 12 months.

The first referrals to JobPath service providers commenced in 2015 and the contract term runs until 2021. The purpose of JobPath is to complete and augment the existing service capacity of the Department, including the local employment services. There has been no reduction in the budget allocated to the local employment services. As part of the contract terms, JobPath providers are required to offer a minimum service guarantee to jobseekers covering matters such as the allocation of a dedicated case officer, frequency of engagement with case officers, access to training in curriculum vitae, CV, interview and other skills, a transparent process and funding for out-of-pocket job search expenses and post-employment support for a period of at least three months and up to 12 months following commencement of employment. To date, over 125,000 long-term unemployed persons have been referred to the service.

The overall response to JobPath has been positive and there have been very few complaints raised to date relative to the number of clients referred to the service. The total number of complaints is 389 or 0.31% of those who have participated. In January 2017, the Department published the results of an independent customer satisfaction survey which indicated that between 76% and 81% of customers were satisfied with the service provided. Only between 5% and 8% expressed dissatisfaction. Over 90% of customers reported that JobPath staff made them feel valued and that they had a good relationship with their JobPath adviser. They also felt that the service had improved their chances of getting a real job. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection publishes quarterly cohort performance reports on JobPath. The most recent report shows that people who availed of the service were up to 34% more likely to find a job than those who did not avail of it.

Sinn Féin recently published a report entitled, JobPath Exposed. The report, based on responses to a Facebook survey, is essentially a collection of negative, unproven anecdotes from people who claim to have participated in the service, some local employment service staff and one person who claims to have worked for one of the JobPath service providers. The theme of the motion that has been proposed reflects the allegations in the report and the matter was addressed recently by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection in reply to an oral parliamentary question on Tuesday, 7 November last. No evidence has been presented to support the claims made and the claims are at odds with the independent customer survey, reported employment outcomes and a few complaints received by the Department.

The cancellation or suspension of the service would immediately result in a significant undermining of case officer services to the unemployed jobseekers, the loss of up to 700 jobs among JobPath service provider staff and the absence of due cause warranting such a cancellation prior to 2020 could create a significant financial exposure for the State.