Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the funding provided to Turas Nua and Seetec for the operation of the JobPath scheme each year from its inception to date; if her Department has conducted any value for money assessment of the work of these companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44201/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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JobPath was a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs were borne by the companies. The companies were paid on the basis of performance and with the exception of the initial registration fee; payments were made only when a client had achieved sustained employment. The overall cost of JobPath was determined by the number of people who participated in the programme and the number who got sustainable jobs.

Referrals to the JobPath service ceased in June 2022 and the service ceased completely in June 2024. The OECD published a report in January 2022 concerning contracted employment services. In this report the OECD specifically states that Ireland’s JobPath programme led to strongly positive employment and earnings outcomes across a variety of hard to place client groups.

It is not intended to publish the individual payments to the JobPath companies as these are commercially sensitive and to do so would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts that were in place and in future procurement processes.

Total expenditure under the JobPath programme is provided in the table below.

Please note the figures provided are expenditure, net of any discounts, and do not take into account the savings made in respect of welfare payments for those who secured sustained employment or in any resulting increase in tax receipts.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.