Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a shortfall between policy and practice. There is a slight difference. Of course, nobody is against personal progression plans as a concept and they exist in practice in a number of different areas. What is specific here is that it is third parties. It is a little different because they are only contracted for part of the process whereas the question of payment and sanction still sits with what the Minister described as "HQ". That is why the question of what information is appropriate to be shared with a third party who is not contracted in terms of payment or sanction arises and why I was calling for additional scrutiny in that regard. Of course, personal progression plans have been used in practice for a long time but it is a matter of ensuring good practice.

I accept the Minister's bona fides. I would encourage her to look at this across a number of cases rather than on a case-by-case basis. Perhaps the Department could confirm and re-check what the Minister stated today, for example, with those contracted third parties.

Can the Minister confirm that no person should be subject to a sanction from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection because he or she refused to sign a personal progression plan which contains the kinds of information in paragraphs (c) and (d) without the person's agreement?