Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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1855. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider amending the criteria in order to enable those referred to Jobpath take up a place on a community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37914/17]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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1857. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review Jobpath in view of the impact that it is having on community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37916/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1855 and 1857 together.

The aim of the JobPath service, which is provided for jobseekers only, is to assist them in finding sustainable full-time paid employment. Community Employment ( CE) schemes provide part-time work experience 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, however they are not full-time jobs.

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.

Jobseekers who are already participating with the JobPath service will not be referred to CE as they can only participate with one activation scheme or service at a time. This allows the service providers’ sufficient time to work with the participants in order to develop their skills and competencies to pursue suitable job opportunities which may result in sustainable employment and also to ensure that the best use is made of the available places on all activation supports. .

Those jobseekers that have completed their 52 week engagement with JobPath without finding suitable and sustainable employment are being referred back to their Intreo centres for an assessment by one of my Department’s case officers. They may then apply for other activation supports such as CE, thus ensuring ongoing availability to all schemes.

My Department keeps all aspects of its activation programmes under review to ensure the best outcomes for participants and earlier this year the Government approved the implementation of a number of changes to the terms and conditions of participation on CE. The main purpose of these changes is to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and to standardise other conditions around the length of time a person can participate on the programme

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.