Written answers
Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Data Protection
Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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450. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person participating in the JobPath programme who declines to sign a consent form allowing Seetec to make contact with employers of perspective employers on their behalf, will be sanctioned or penalised in any way; how programme participants' personal data is stored, processed and shared; how this complies with Irish and EU data protection laws; if their data will be transferred out of Ireland to servers or software located in the UK or any other third-party entities; the safeguards that are in place to protect participants' data; what a participant is agreeing to when asked to sign the induction booklet; if this is mandatory under legislation; if it constitutes any form of a contract with Seetec that may affect their rights; if the participant will be sanctioned or penalised for refusing to sign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31298/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of employment services to support jobseekers in preparing for, securing, and sustaining employment. These services are either provided directly by my Department’s own staff, or on behalf of my Department through Intreo Partners and other service providers. Seetec currently operates employment services on behalf of my Department, including Jobpath services.
JobPath providers are required to offer in-work support to participants for up to twelve months while they remain in employment. This includes scheduled contact with the person as well as ad-hoc contact should they need immediate support or advice. A 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 provided is treated confidentially.
My Department’s contracts with the JobPath providers are in compliance with all relevant data protection legislation and any information shared is contractually-based and necessary to provide an employment service. JobPath providers are legally bound to observe and adhere to data protection requirements, including publishing the contact details of their data protection officers. Jobpath providers have also undertaken regular independent audits of their data processes and procedures as part of their contractual obligations.
Seetec provides participants on its Jobpath service with an information booklet. It is not a contract and it is not mandatory to sign it.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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