Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1450. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a situation in which a person (details supplied) was not allowed to seek employment outside that being offered by Seetec which they were engaging with at the time will be investigated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16121/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The primary goal of the Department’s activation services is to move people from long term unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help overcome barriers to employment and to find jobs. Each person is assigned a personal advisor who assesses their skills, experience, challenges and work goals and agrees a “personal progression plan” that includes a schedule of activities, including relevant training and educational programmes to assist them in finding full-time sustainable employment. The JobPath providers are required to support customers in working towards their job goals to find and keep full time paid employment. There are no barriers to any participant using other methods to source employment outside of those being offered by the JobPath provider and the provider will continue to work with each person and provide in-employment support irrespective of how the employment was sourced.

In the case of jobseekers already in part-time employment, this support may focus on options or opportunities to increase the level of employment in their current role, or look at possibilities in other areas, which may also involve some training, but could provide a more sustainable income and a move away from dependence on jobseeker payments.

In regard to the individual case raised by the Deputy, this person is not currently engaged with the JobPath service and there is nothing notable on his record of engagement with the JobPath service to suggest that any issue of complaint regarding employment was raised with the provider or the department. While referenced above that there are no barriers to any participant using other methods to source employment outside of those being offered by the JobPath provider, if the Deputy wishes to supply further details regarding the allegation they will be fully investigated.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.