Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 39:

In page 14, after line 7, to insert the following:"10.The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay guidelines before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the principles and parameters which should underpin the development and agreement of “personal progression plans” by any third party contracted by the Department in respect of labour activation. These guidelines are to include:

(a) a requirement that any individual in respect of whom a personal progression plan is being developed is presented with options in terms of education, training and employment;

(b) a requirement that any individual in respect of whom a personal progression plan is being developed be entitled to possession of a hard copy of any proposed personal progression plan prior to signing and be free to seek external advice on that proposed personal progression plan prior to signing;

(c) prohibition on any text requiring an individual to share data in respect of family members or cohabitees;

(d) prohibition of any text requiring an individual to share contact information, or permit contact, in respect of any employer who has offered that individual employment independently of the third party, and

(e) consideration of the data protection rights of any individual in respect of whom a personal progression plan is being developed.".

We need not rehash this fully now. I refer to the concerns about personal progression plans. This is not to say that personal progression plans are terrible, nobody should every have a personal progression plan, and nobody should plan their future. It is around a determination of quality and good practice in how personal progression plans are used. This is revisiting certain issues.

I am probably more likely to bring back and press the amendment that I previously had on this issue, which is that no one should be required to sign a personal progression plan that he or she has not had an opportunity to review, and there should be no fear-----