Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have not said a fraction of what I want to say.

We have a serious concern about how JobPath was set up and we have serious concerns about how it has been rolled out. As I have only one minute left I will focus on one of my key areas of concern but I will raise all of them again and at meetings of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection. I am seriously concerned about the personal progression plans that are being pushed forward at present. I understand that people are being asked to sign personal progression plans that include them being asked to surrender inappropriate data.They are asked to make a contract with a private company in which they give information about their spouses and about their children, which should not concern that company because it does not concern their access to employment it only concerns their entitlement to payments. They are also asked to say that they will inform that company of any other job they get externally. Why is that necessary Minister? If somebody has decided that they have found employment separately they should be able to leave the service. They should not be required to pass information in respect of an employer which they have sourced independently to a private company. We have heard of very serious concerns in terms of how Turas Nua and Seetec have contacted employers and impressed them in fact-----