Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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723. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have been placed on the JobPath scheme since its inception in July 2015 and to date in 2017; the number of non-engagement cases which have arisen in the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32205/17]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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768. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons to date who have been referred to JobPath since it commenced; the number of those who have gained full-time employment due to participation in JobPath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32911/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 and 768 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua.

The JobPath service commenced operations in mid-2015 with and reached full State-wide delivery of service in July 2016 with 105,000 Jobseekers having commenced with the service by the end of June 2017. Of these, some 71,000 had started their engagement with the JobPath service by the end of 2016 with a further 34,000 customers having started their engagement with the service in the first 6 months of 2017.

Of the 105,000 customers who started with the JobPath service since its inception in July 2015, approximately 22,000 cases of customer non-engagement have arisen. Failure of a jobseeker to engage, without good cause, with the Department’s employment services can have consequences for the jobseeker’s payments. However it is important to note that the rules and processes for the application of a reduced rate of payment are the same across all of the Department’s employment services whether they are delivered directly by the Department’s own Intreo service or through its contracted services.

The process with regards to such decisions includes written/verbal warnings and an opportunity for the jobseeker to re-engage with the services prior to the application of a reduced payment rate. Where it is decided that a penalty rate is to be applied such a decision can only be made by departmental official (not contractor’s staff).

The majority of the 22,000 customers referenced above will have subsequently re-engaged with the service and after the completion of the processes outlined, reduced payment rate has only been applied in approximately 5,000 cases.

In relation to the number of participants to find full time employment, 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 therefore 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. With this in mind, it is intended that an econometric evaluation of the service will commence at the end of 2017. The Department has however commenced publishing cohort reports on the performance of the service, with the most recent report, which provides details of the performance outcomes for two jobseeker cohorts - Q3 and Q4 2015, having been published on the Department’s website in May 2017. The report is available at: www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobPath.aspx. The next cohort performance report will be published on the departments web site later this month.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.