Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

196. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to outline when she will commission an impact report on the pathways to work labour activation policy around the employment and wellbeing of jobseekers. [33178/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Social Protection is undertaking an extensive programme of evaluations over the next three years as part of its commitments under the Pathways to Workstrategy. Towards this end IGEES economists have been seconded to the Department to assist in the conduct this work.

The evaluation programme also draws upon expertise of expert economists and experienced practitioners on the Labour Market Council.

Key objectives in undertaking these evaluations will be to:

-Assess the effectiveness of activation schemes/programmes such as JobBridge, Community Employment and Tús through comparing the employment outcomes of participants against the employment outcomes of matched non-participating individuals, and/or at different periods;

-Measure, in a similar manner, the impact of major process change – e.g., introduction of the Intreo activation process, or of JobPath;

The sequence for evaluations over the next three years is based upon an assessment of a number of considerations. Where relevant, consideration will also be given to conducting in parallel in-house or externally commissioned qualitative research and/or policy reviews, to contextualise the findings of the counterfactual impact evaluations.

The following evaluations are currently in train:

-Back To Education Allowance (Completion Q4 2015)

-JobBridge (Completion Q2 2016)

-Intreo Activation Process (Completion Q3 2016)

-Back To Work Enterprise Allowance (Completion Q1 2016)

The following evaluations are planned for 2016 and 2017:

-JobPath

-Tús

-Community Employment

-Gateway

-First Steps

-Momentum

-JobsPlus

In addition to these impact evaluations the Department has also commissioned an independent survey of client experience in Intreo offices. It is expected that the survey results will be available in Q1 2016.