John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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655. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the sanction rates and penalties in place for failure to engage with the JobPath scheme by county in tabular form. [2931/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Penalty rates were introduced in 2011 as a means of encouraging Jobseekers to engage with activation measures and to co-operate with efforts of the Department to assist them in securing employment.  The Department is committed, under Pathways to Work, to incentivise the take-up of activation opportunities, including implementing sanctions for failure to engage.

The legislation underpinning the application of penalty rates is provided for in the Social Welfare Act, 2010.  Penalty rates can only be applied in specific circumstances and the decision to impose a penalty can only be made by a deciding officer of the Department.  Penalty rates are only applied as a last resort.  If dissatisfied with that decision it is open to the Jobseeker to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. 

The penalty rates which currently apply to Jobseeker’s Allowance customers aged 26 years and over is €44.00 per week.For those age 25 years old the penalty rate is €33.00 per week and for those aged 18-24 years the rate is €25.00.

The introduction of the JobPath service in mid-2015 has complemented my Department’s existing activation services and has facilitated a very significant increase in the numbers of Jobseekers to whom activation services can be provided.  Significantly, of those Jobseekers who are in activation at any given time, either within my Department's Intreo service, or the contracted services of JobPath and the LES, only approximately 1% have a penalty rate applied.

A breakdown by County of the number of penalty rate sanctions currently applied to customers engaging with JobPath is set out below.