Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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555. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an employment support company (details supplied) can request a service user to provide a letter or payslip from an employer which the service user has sourced independently of the company. [31439/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a service user of an employment support company (details supplied) must continue to engage with the employment support company for 12 months after securing employment independently of the company. [31440/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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557. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if service users of JobPath are allocated to their nearest geographical employment support company; and if not, if they can request a transfer. [31441/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 to 557, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will know 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. People who have been long term unemployed are referred to the JobPath service to receive one-to one intensive support from a personal adviser.

There are no barriers to the way by which jobseekers can source employment, the JobPath service helps and supports their clients to identify and pursue suitable job opportunities themselves, the personal adviser will provide any appropriate support that the person may require, from preparing their CV and assisting with the job application to financial assistance for clothing or transport costs at interview stage or in the first days of employment.

Activation services are provided for a maximum of 12 months and if a customer gains employment during this period they can then avail of in-employment supports for a minimum of 13 weeks and a maximum of 52 weeks. This includes scheduled contact with the customer as well as ad-hoccontact should they need immediate support or advice, this may be particularly important for those in temporary or part-time employment to provide the specific support needed to progress to more sustainable permanent employment, as well as those returning to employment after an extended period. The JobPath provider will continue to work with each person and provide in-employment support irrespective of how the employment was sourced

The person is not under any obligation to provide employment or employer details to the JobPath provider but, if they wish to do so and avail of the in-employment support offered, all information will be treated confidentially.

All jobseekers are referred to a JobPath service location which is linked geographically to the office at which they are claiming a jobseeker’s payment. In a handful of cases due to a specific reason, which are considered on a case by case basis, people have been facilitated to move to a different office within the same area.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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558. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the contact details for complaints by service users of JobPath. [31442/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is a requirement of the JobPath Providers contract with the Department that, in the first instance, the JobPath providers investigate any issues that may arise in respect of the service they provide. Each JobPath Provider has a comprehensive Complaints Procedure which is available in every location.

The contact details for both JobPath Providers are as follows:

Seetec: A customer can make a complaint by speaking with their Employment Advisor or Business Manager, in writing to the Customer Services Manager, Seetec Employment and Skills Ireland, 2^ndFloor Riverside Development, Mulhuddart Village, Dublin 15, by email to complaints@seetec.ie or alternatively Freephone Customer Services on 1800844250.

Turas Nua: A customer can make a complaint by speaking with their Personal Advisor or Performance Manager, in writing to Turas Nua, Floor 1, Benamore Business Park, Dublin Road, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, by email at Hello@turasnua.ie or alternatively Freephone Customer Services on 1800936637.

The procedure contains levels of escalation whereby complaints are dealt with at the appropriate level of authority and ensuring that matters are fully addressed. In the event a customer has availed of this procedure but remains dissatisfied with the response to their complaint, they may request my Department to carry out a review. Customers may also refer a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman for review once they have exhausted the available complaints process.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.