Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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733. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will investigate the practices of a company (details supplied) which has been engaged by the State to work on the JobPath scheme. [25406/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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734. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will investigate allegations that a company (details supplied) is demanding that JobPath participants apply for jobs from the company's office as a means to get the contact details of the persons responsible for recruiting in companies from those participants, with the intention of using that data for their own ends. [25407/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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735. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the legal minimum number of job applications per week for persons receiving jobseeker's allowance; and if it is legal for private companies involved in JobPath to threaten participants with their social protection payments ceasing if they do not make a certain number of job applications per week. [25408/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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736. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the options for jobseekers to leave JobPath if they are not satisfied with the scheme. [25409/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 733 to 736, inclusive, together.

JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. Two companies - Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited have been contracted to provide the service on behalf of my Department. The companies deliver services directly and have also engaged a range of partners (one of which is the company in question) to deliver the service in areas where they do not have a presence.

Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help them tackle barriers to employment and to assist them in finding jobs. Each person is assigned to a personal adviser who assesses a person’s skills, experience, challenges and work goals. The personal adviser works with the jobseeker to agree a personal progression plan that includes a schedule of activities, actions and job focused targets. Participants are also provided with a range of training and development supports including online modules, career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. Participants receive the JobPath job search assistance and support service for a period of 12 months (which can be extended by up to six months to facilitate the jobseeker completing training programmes) or until such time as they find employment whichever is the soonest. If the jobseeker secures employment during this period they will continue to receive support for at least three months and up to twelve months while in employment.

The JobPath providers are obliged to provide a baseline level of support to each participant but are free to increase that support in individual cases, provided that it is not unduly onerous. The JobPath contracts provide that a person should not have to travel more than 60 minutes in normal circumstances to attend an appointment. Where a person has transport difficulties the JobPath company can assist the person with travel arrangements including the reimbursement of reasonable travel costs.

While there is nothing to prevent a person from applying for jobs from their own home the JobPath companies offer expert job application advice and assistance. The JobPath companies work closely with employers to try to match jobseekers with available jobs. It is in the interests of JobPath participants that the JobPath companies can engage with the appropriate person in a company to build a good relationship and thus enhance the prospects of securing jobs for them and other JobPath participants.

There is no legal minimum number of job applications that participants must make in order for them to continue receiving a jobseeker’s payment. All jobseekers are required to engage with the department’s activation service and this obligation applies irrespective of whether the service is provided by the department’s own case officers or those employed by the Local Employment Service or by JobPath. A jobseeker’s payment is conditional on a person seeking employment and being willing to take up suitable employment. All decisions regarding welfare entitlements of JobPath participants are taken only by departmental officials and not by the JobPath companies.

The JobPath providers are subject to regular on-site checks and inspections to ensure that JobPath is delivered in accordance with contractual obligations. My Department is also commissioning independent customer satisfaction surveys to assess if jobseekers are satisfied with the level, and quality, of service delivered by the providers. Failure by the providers to satisfy my Department’s inspectors or to achieve a satisfactory score in the independent survey will result in payment penalties being applied.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.