I propose to take Questions Nos. 344 to 346, inclusive, together.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the JobPath service. JobPath is an employment service, which helps long-term unemployed people to secure and sustain paid employment. The service was launched in 2015 on a ‘rolling basis’ with referral numbers gradually increasing over time.
JobPath is a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs are borne by the companies. The companies are paid on the basis of performance and with the exception of the initial registration fee; payments are made only when a client has achieved sustained employment. The registration fee may be claimed once a jobseeker has developed a Personal Progression Plan (PPP). Job Sustainment Fees (JSF) are payable for each 13 week period of sustained employment, up to a maximum of 52 weeks (i.e. 4 payments).
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 currently in place and in any future procurement that may be undertaken.
Table 1: The total cost by year to Sept 2018.
Please note the Service did not come into operation until July 2015, so no payments were made to Seetec or Turas Nua in the years 2012-2014.
Year
|
Amount Paid
|
2015
|
€1.2m
|
2016
|
€25.2m
|
2017
|
€57.4m
|
2018
|
€58.9m
|