Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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452. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will make contact with Seetec to establish a satellite office for the service in Ardee, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10477/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The JobPath contracts provide that a customer should not have to travel more than 60 minutes in normal circumstances to attend an appointment. Where a customer has transport difficulties the JobPath Provider may assist the customer with travel arrangements including the reimbursement of reasonable travel costs.

Seetec currently have 29 full-time and 20 part-time offices throughout their operating region. At present, eight offices are accessible within a normal journey time of 60 minutes by public transport or private motorised transport from Ardee. Clients referred to Seetec have the option to engage in the Seetec office most convenient for them.

The offices are based in:

- Dundalk (Full time) – 19.5 km from Ardee, 20 min by car and 38 mins by bus

- Carrickmacross (Outreach) – 20.8 km from Ardee, 18 mins by car and 22 mins by bus

- Drogheda (Full time) – 25km, 22 mins by car, 38 mins by bus

- Kells (Outreach) – 29.5km, 30 mins by car

- Navan (Full time) – 32 km, 33 mins by car

- Balbriggan (Full time) – 47.7km, 34 mins by car

- Monaghan (Full time) – 59.4 km, 44 mins by car

- Swords (Full time) – 60km, 40 mins by car

Customers claiming their jobseekers payment from Ardee Branch Office are currently being referred to JobPath at a rate of ten per week. In total 231 jobseekers from Ardee and the surrounding areas are engaged with the service. Given the number of options available to customers in the region, there is no current requirement for a separate Seetec office in Ardee.

Towards the end of 2016 my Department commissioned an independent survey to assess customer satisfaction with the service provided by both JobPath companies. Seetec scored 4.27 out of 5 for ease of travel to their offices. This survey is available on my department’s website at – .

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.