Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 153, inclusive, together.

Ireland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by my Department and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies i.e. the JobPath companies, the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs.

The Local Employment Service engages primarily with long-term unemployed jobseekers but may also engage with short-term unemployed jobseekers where a local need arises. Jobseekers are referred directly to the LES by Intreo offices. Jobseekers may also request services from the LES on a “walk-in” basis. Other groups, to whom the LES may offer services, include people who have a disability, lone parents, early school leavers, qualified adults, ex-offenders, members of the travelling community and refugees. Where these people initially present at an Intreo office they may be sent to the LES for activation services.

The following table sets out the number of LES clients at the end of 2015 and the most recent figures for 2016.

In line with a commitment in Pathways to Work 2016 - 2020 my Department began to reduce the number of LES clients in 2016 so as to enable the LES to provide a more intensive level of engagement to jobseekers. LES providers were asked to engage on a more intensive basis (at least once a month) with clients to assist their progress to employment. To facilitate this more intensive engagement, case loads were reduced during the year. This was made possible by the additional activation capacity provided by the JobPath service which also provides activation services to the long-term unemployed.

There are currently some 300 full-time equivalent posts in the LES and of these 170 are full-time equivalent mediator posts.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.