Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

446. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons who are participants on community employment and Tús schemes who are being selected for JobPath programmes are being told they have to attend even though they are participating in a labour activation programme already; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10395/17]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

447. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that jobseekers' participation on JobPath is restricting the ability of community employment and Tús schemes to recruit participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10396/17]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

448. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount Seetec and Turas Nua have been paid in 2016; the number of persons they have placed in jobs; if any of these placements include community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10397/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 to 448, inclusive, together.

The activation supports and services which are available to those who are long-term unemployed include the JobPath employment activation service and work experience and training schemes such as Community Employment (CE) and TÚS.

The JobPath service procured by my department provides additional resources to enable it to provide a high quality, case managed employment support service. The companies contracted to provide the JobPath service have no role or authority in relation to referrals or placements for any other activation schemes or programmes such as CE or TÚS.

Jobseekers who are already participating on a CE Scheme will not be referred to JobPath and the JobPath companies do not refer jobseekers to CE.Jobseekers can only participate with one activation scheme or service at a time; this is to ensure that the best use is made of the available places and to allow the scheme and service providers time to work with the participants. However, customers who on the date of their referral to JobPath have a written offer with a start date within four weeks for CE or TÚS will be facilitated to take up the placement. Additionally, in a small number of exceptional cases, which are assessed on a case by case basis, my Department may facilitate a customer to move from one activation support to another.

The aim of the JobPath service, which is provided for jobseekers only, is to assist them in finding sustainable full-time paid employment by providing intensive individual support and assistance. It is distinct from the CE and TÚS schemes which provide part-time employment and training opportunities in local communities as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a range of Social Welfare payments including those on long term unemployment payments. These schemes do not, nor are they intended to, provide full-time sustainable employment.

The referral period for the JobPath service is typically for a year. The JobPath service was rolled out on a phased basis over the period June 2015 to July 2016; as a result the first groups of participants have only recently completed their engagement period with the service. The numbers referred initially were low but this will increase over the next few months and those who have not found suitable and sustainable employment and exited the Job Path service will have opportunities, subject to an assessment by an Intreo case officer to apply for other activation supports such as CE and TÚS.

It is important to note, that under the JobPath service, jobseekers have access to a personal adviser (PA) who works with them over two phases. The first phase, of 12 months duration, the PA provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. The second phase starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work. During this phase the PA continues to work with the jobseeker for a further period of at least three months, and up to 12 months. It will take time therefore to accumulate a sufficient number of clients (who have completed their engagement period) for complete and robust outcomes data to be available.

From 2017 onwards, my Department will publish a report on the performance of the service on a quarterly basis, with the first such report having just been published recently (17th of January).

The initial data on the impact of the service is encouraging. Employment outcome data shows that compared to people who did not take part in the service, people who availed of the service were 23% more likely to have started a job (as of October 2016). The difference appears to be more marked for very long-term unemployed customers, with those out of work for more than three years some 44% more likely to have found a job if they engaged with the service. These outcomes refer to full time jobs (over 30 hours per week) only.

Given that only a small number of customers have completed their full engagement period with the service these results can only be treated as indicative, nevertheless they are encouraging.

As the number of customers who have completed their engagement period with the service increases the department will be in a position to provide greater granularity in the reports to be published each quarter this year.

The first report (with results together with a copy of the independent customer satisfaction survey findings for both companies) is available on the department’s website at –

JobPath is a payment by results model and all initial costs are borne by the companies. The companies are paid registration fees and job sustainment fees. A registration fee may be claimed only when a jobseeker has developed a personal progression plan. Job sustainment fees are payable for each 13 week period of sustained employment, up to a maximum of 52 weeks (i.e. 4 payments). The total payments to the JobPath companies amounted to €26.8m in 2016.

It is not intended to publish the individual payments to the JobPath companies as these are commercially sensitive and to do so would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts now in place and any future procurement that may be undertaken.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.