Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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612. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount of new jobs which have been created by JobPath in east Galway in 2015 and 2016. [20671/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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613. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons signed up to JobPath in east Galway in 2015 and 2016. [20672/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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616. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of Seetec and Turas Nua offices that have opened in 2015 and 2016 by county. [20675/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 612, 613 and 616 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the state’s Public Employment Service is managed by the Department and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies, such as JobPath, Local Employment Service and Job Club providers. The department has contracts in place with 68 companies for the provision of these services (this includes two contracts with JobPath service providers). The services being delivered do not create employment in themselves, rather it is the role of the staff of these services to assist and support jobseekers to enter / re-enter employment in the open labour market.

The JobPath element of the service has been designed to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service model has a number of key features, for example, every participant is provided with a service guarantee - a baseline level of service covering, inter-alia, frequency of engagement, personal progression planning, geographic accessibility and in-employment support.

In the case of East Galway, to date, 726 people have commenced their engagement period with the service. These clients were referred to the service from the Intreo Centre in Loughrea, and the Social Welfare Branch Offices in Gort and Tuam.

It is important to note that jobseekers may be supported through the service for up to 30 months - under the service jobseekers have access to a personal adviser (PA) who works with them over two phases. During 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. In addition to the two phases Jobseekers may also undertake training while with the service and this may extend the period the jobseeker is supported through the service for up to a further 6 months.

It will take time to accumulate a sufficient number of clients (who have completed their engagement period with the service) for complete and robust outcome data to be available. However, the Department has commenced publishing reports on the performance of the service on a quarterly basis, with the first such report having been published on the Department’s website earlier this year.

The report can be accessed on the Department’s website at - .

It is intended to publish the next report on the department’s website within the next fortnight.

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

With regard to the number of JobPath service delivery locations operated by the providers: currently the service is being delivered in 91 locations through a mix of full time, part time and outreach outlets. The following table provides a breakdown of JobPath Service delivery locations by provider and by county.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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615. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to have a person on JobPath for 12 months, as opposed to the estimated cost to have a person on Tús for 12 months. [20674/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As of February 2017, the estimated average cost to have a person the on the Tús Initiative for twelve months was €15,373.19. This figure includes payments to participants and the supervisory, implementing body and other support costs.

By comparison JobPath is an employment service and all the initial costs are borne by the companies. The JobPath companies are paid fees based on a payment by results model. There are 5 fee types that can be claimed by the JobPath providers, a Registration Fee and 4 Job Sustainment Fees, one for each period of 13 weeks, up to 52 weeks in full-time sustained employment. It should be borne in mind that Job Sustainment Fees are offset by the saving in Jobseekers Allowance payments that would otherwise have been made.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.