Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the progress that has been made in relation to the Pathways to Work, in particular point 42 where her Department is examining the potential of contracting with the private sector as a means of complementing its own resources where required to deliver services and build up/access new skills and competencies in areas such as case management of clients, employer engagement and job-matching/placement; if any research been undertaken; if any private sector companies have been approached to provide such services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20001/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Pathways to Work policy provides for more regular and on-going engagement with jobseekers to enable them to return to employment through the provision of the most appropriate support interventions.

Much of the initial focus of the policy has been on the development and roll-out of Intreo - the new integrated employment activation and supports service model that was launched last October. The Intreo model involves an enhanced engagement process involving individual profiling, group interviews and early one-to-one sessions between care managers and unemployed clients. The process also involves an accelerated claim decision process. All of these elements are being rolled out progressively across all offices. When all elements are in place in any one office, the office is rebranded as an Intreo office. To date, twelve full Intreo offices have now been opened and service performance has improved in all of these offices. It is intended to open about 30 Intreo offices during 2013 and complete the rollout during 2014.

Enhanced engagement with employers at local level is also part of the new process and this is progressing well. A dedicated Employer Engagement Unit has been established and an Employer Engagement Manager is available in each region to support and advise employers at each stage of the employment process including the advertisement of opportunities and sourcing potential candidates from the Live Register.

The Department currently contracts with external providers for the delivery of both the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs. These provide employment services, including career planning, CV preparation, engagement with employers and job search/matching assistance etc.

Following a procurement process, the Department engaged the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (Inclusion) in November 2012 to provide expert advice and assistance with the design and delivery of a commercial model for the contracted provision of employment services. The Department is currently considering the Inclusion report and any subsequent process of engagement with private providers will be undertaken in accordance with normal public procurement procedures.