Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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286. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of referrals to JobPath providers that have subsequently been referred to an employability supported employment service since the programme began; if he can publish the written departmental protocol that facilitates such a referral; if any person already with an employability service will be denied access to that supported employment service due to referral to a JobPath provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28435/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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To date, 31 people have been withdrawn from JobPath for the purpose of engaging with Employability Services. These include both people who had engaged with Employability Services but had not been designated as such on the Department’s IT system at the time of selection for JobPath as well as people selected for JobPath and who were subsequently identified as having needs that were better served by Employability Services.

Only clients in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment are referred to JobPath. Most clients engaged with Employability Services are people with disabilities on long term payments such as disability allowance or invalidity pension and will not be referred to JobPath.

Where a person on JobPath requires additional supports that are not available with JobPath but are available with the EmployAbility Service, the JobPath provider will contact my Department so that the person may be withdrawn from JobPath and referred to Employability Services. Referrals from JobPath to Employability Services are dealt with on a case by case basis. There is no written protocol in place.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.