John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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250. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of referrals made by JobPath providers (details supplied) to recruitment agencies since the commencement of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28178/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware the primary purpose of the activation services provided by my Department, including the JobPath service, is to assist and support jobseekers to look for and sustain full time employment. My Department refers long-term job seeking customers to the JobPath service to receive one-to one intensive and regular engagement with a personal adviser. The JobPath companies do not onward refer or place Jobseekers with recruitment agencies and accordingly there is no recording of same.

The JobPath contractors engage with employers across the range of employment sectors to establish vacancies and to understand the needs of employers in assisting job seekers returning to the workforce. The business needs of some employers and the buoyant job market occasions that some employers may choose to use the services of recruitment agencies in identifying and recruiting staff. The JobPath companies will engage as appropriate with these agencies to assist jobseekers gain sustainable employment. However, as I have indicated already, they do not refer jobseekers to recruitment companies for activation support.

Many jobseekers also self-refer to recruitment agencies to maximise their chances of employment, as well as registering with the various recruitment websites including my Department’s own recruitment website www.JobsIreland.ie.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if JobPath providers (details supplied) have been trained on the new GDPR rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28179/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department collects and holds large volumes of personal data on customers and is very aware of the need to have adequate data protection policies, procedures and structures in place in line with the GDPR. Preparations for the GDPR have been overseen by the Department’s Data Management Programme Board. The Department has a dedicated GDPR implementation team in place and has commissioned external expertise to assist it with achieving GDPR compliance. While my Department already has strict data protection guidelines, policies and procedures, all have been subject to review and updated to ensure that the processing of all personal data is GDPR compliant. All data sharing arrangements are also being reviewed to ensure compliance with the Regulation.

Contracted providers of Activation services act on behalf of the Department for the purpose of delivering these services and are subject to strict obligations imposed by the Department in terms of data protection.

JobPath providers are contractually required to register with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Data protection legislation requires that personal data shall be kept only for one or more specified and lawful purposes and that personal data shall be used and disclosed only in ways compatible with these purposes. The legislation also requires that the data should be adequate, relevant and not excessive. Any suspected breach of the data protection legislation will be investigated by the Department and may also be a matter for the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

My Department has regular meetings with both JobPath providers to ensure that they are fully aware of and are fulfilling their contractual obligations, including those concerned with data protection regulations. Both companies have undertaken regular independent audits of their data processes and procedures as part of these contractual obligations. In addition, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has recently conducted audits of each company. Employees of both companies, and their subcontractors, are subject to the same data protection laws as Departmental staff.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if JobPath providers (details supplied) receive job sustainment fees in cases in which they send participants to recruitment agencies and in which employment is successfully sourced through the recruitment agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28180/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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JobPath is one of a range of activation supports which includes schemes such as TÚS and Community Employment (CE), catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers. Activation services are also provided by departmental case officers in the Intreo Centres, or by contracted companies and organisations such as Local Employment Services (LES), Job Clubs and the JobPath providers.

The JobPath service is being delivered through a payment by results model and the Department was careful in designing the service to ensure that payments to contractors are conditional on people not just finding a job, but finding sustainable employment. If a person secures a job and sustains that job, the contractor may be able to claim a job sustainment fee. JobPath is an activation service and not a placement agency and as such clients are assisted to secure their own employment. Depending on the nature of that employment it may be beneficial to the client to make use of Recruitment Agencies to help them secure a position. However the JobPath providers continue to work with the client until such time as they have found sustainable employment.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.