Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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27. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way she will ensure that persons with disabilities will not be inappropriately activated under the proposed JobPath measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17333/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobPath is the Government's new labour market activation service aimed specifically at long-term unemployed jobseekers and those new jobseekers most distant from the labour market, with the primary objective of assisting such persons to secure sustained full-time paid employment. It is not intended that people who are in receipt of a disability related income support payment, e.g. Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, will be referred to JobPath.

JobPath will be delivered by third party providers of employment services under contract to the Department. JobPath will augment and complement the Department's existing employment service capacity as well as that of the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs, which already operate under contract to the Department, thereby increasing capacity to provide supports to assist jobseekers in obtaining employment.

Some unemployed people in receipt of a jobseeker payment may have disability that does not inhibit their ability to work or to seek work. Accordingly JobPath companies will have a contractual obligation to ensure that JobPath services are accessible in accordance with the National Disability Authority's “Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information provided by Public Bodies”.