Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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215. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of participants in the JobPath scheme that have been referred back to the scheme for a second time. [49919/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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All persons in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance must be capable of; available for and actively seeking full time employment. The Social Welfare (Consolidated) Act 2005, as amended, specifies that participation in activation meetings is mandatory and that applies to all activation services provided by the Department including those provided by the contracted providers JobPath; Local Employment Services and Jobs Clubs. JobPath is designed to support people who are long term unemployed to obtain and sustain employment in the open labour market. The JobPath companies have no role in selection of jobseekers for referral to the service.

My Department selects clients for the JobPath service by means of a random selection process and protocols for selection currently preclude the selection of anyone who has already completed 52 weeks with the JobPath service within the previous four months. If, however, at the end of this period the jobseeker has not engaged in other activation supports and services they then become eligible for selection for a second period of activation on the JobPath programme.

Jobseekers referred for a second time will start working with a Personal Advisor , who will review their development during their previous time with the service and together they will prepare a new personal progression plan to build on that progress. The actions and tasks agreed will be based on their previous engagement, with particular focus on the identified barriers, which are preventing the person moving into full time suitable employment.

As of the end of October 2018 just over 15,000 jobseekers had commenced a second engagement period with the service, having availed of the service previously.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.