Written Answers Nos. 100-129
100. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports provided to foster parents, particularly in the area of pensions, in which foster parents would like their role as foster parents recognised as work for pension purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46757/18]
View answerI am informed that Foster Parents are paid a weekly allowance by Tusla of €325 for each child under the age of 12, and €352 for each child over the age of 12. These payments are not taxable, are not subject to PRSI deductions, and are not taken into account for the purposes of means tests administered by my Department, and there are no plans to change this. As a consequence, a Foster Parent with no other income may have no PRSI contributions paid during the period they were fostering. Foster Parents who are working or self-employed pay PRSI contributions in respect of that work and qualify for social welfare entitlements on that basis.
The home-makers scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect for periods from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded in the calculation of the yearly average of the pensioner. This will generally have the effect of increasing the yearly average of the pensioner, and may result in a higher rate of pension, depending on their circumstances.
Under the interim Total Contribution Approach (TCA) for those pensioners affected by the rate band changes in 2012, HomeCaring periods will be available to those who looked after children up to 12 years of age or older where fulltime care and attention was required (to a maximum of 20 years for all credits and homecaring periods). There is no post-1994 restriction on the years during which this caring period will have taken place.
Claims continue to be subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied, including the requirement that 520 contributions be paid.
Foster parents are entitled to the benefits of the existing homemakers scheme and it is planned this would continue for the new HomeCaring periods under TCA, on the same basis as other homemakers and carers, and will qualify if the carer is in receipt of Child Benefit. If the foster parent is not in receipt of Child Benefit they can still qualify for the home-makers scheme or HomeCaring periods if the caring periods are confirmed by TUSLA (these are cases where caring is for a short period of time).
Accordingly, the current system and the interim TCA system which will be implemented shortly both provide for times spent caring to be taken into consideration in the calculation of pensions.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
101. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of her plans to re-examine the situation in which women who were in the workforce and left in earlier years for family duties are not in a position to receive the full State pension (contributory) when they reach retirement age; and her further plans to address this situation. [46754/18]
View answer110. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures she will take to ensure equality in the State pension (contributory) scheme; when pensioners affected by current rules can expect to see those measures enacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46846/18]
View answer117. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which progress continues to be made in addressing the issue by which women for one reason or another have been deprived of contributory pensions, having retired from the workplace while raising their families due to the marriage ban and made a major contribution to society in the course of their working lives; if their cases are being re-examined with a view to crediting them with sufficient contributions to enable them qualify for the State or retirement pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46793/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 110 and 117 together.
On 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA). The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the calculation of that entitlement, for those who took time out of the workplace for parenting children under age 12, or individuals who needed increased levels of care.
The changes apply to those who reached pension age on or after 1st September 2012 who were awarded less than maximum rate, on post Budget 2012 rate bands. The changes do not apply to anyone already entitled to maximum rate state pension (contributory).
Currently there are approximately 79,000 pensioners in this category and my Department is now in the process of issuing Information Letters to them.
Work on examination of the social insurance records of the pensioners concerned commenced in September. As social insurance records are unique to individual pensioners, this manual examination phase is expected to continue to the end of the year. To date, over sixty temporary staff members have been recruited to work on this phase. Further recruitment will take place in January 2019 when the first pension reviews are expected to get under way and it is anticipated that the first review outcomes will be notified to pensioners during Quarter 1 2019.
Payment of increases, where awarded, will be made immediately after an individual's review is completed. Where an increase is awarded, it will be backdated to 30 March 2018, or the person's 66th birthday if later, and arrears paid. If a pensioner does not qualify for an increased rate, they will continue to receive their existing rate of entitlement.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
102. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to establish a community advisory forum for community employment schemes; and her further plans to increase the payments that support these schemes and the participants. [46880/18]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The focus of CE is on developing technical and personal skills to enable a person to return to the open labour market. Persons engaged are provided with work and training placements of 19½ hours duration per week with a not-for-profit community sponsor delivering local services.
The CE programme is monitored on an on-going basis to ensure that the schemes are meeting the needs of communities and jobseekers. The Deputy will appreciate that given the welcome improvements in the labour market in recent years with reducing numbers of long-term unemployed on the Live Register, which is the target cohort for CE, it is proving difficult to fill the number of places available nationwide.
My Department undertook nationwide consultation workshops with key CE scheme sponsors and supervisors during May and early June 2017. As part of these consultations, potential changes to the eligibility criteria were discussed and a number of changes were implemented thereafter.
The general qualifying age for CE for those on the Live Register was reduced from 25 to 21 years. It is now easier for previous participants, who have exhausted their CE entitlement, to re-qualify as participation prior to the year 2007 is disregarded. There is an overall limit of 6 years participation from 2007 (7 years if on a disability payment). While participants between 21 and 55 years on CE are entitled to one year on the programme, this can be extended by up to 2 more years if they are engaged in a recognised training or education award that is helping them progress towards employment. All CE participants age 55 and over can avail of 3 consecutive years on a CE scheme. Since 1st June, I am also facilitating persons to take up a placement on CE or Tús while also attending their JobPath provider. The annual budget provided to CE schemes includes an amount to cover consumable services and materials, including insurance, necessary for the effective operation of the project. As part of Budget 2019, I increased the materials budget by €2m.
The payment rates for participants on community employment (CE) are related to their underlying value of their social protection payment plus €22.50 per week, with a minimum payment to each participant of €220.50. In Budget 2019, I increased this minimum rate payment by a further €5 increase in line with other payments in my Department. In addition, a participant may be eligible, where appropriate, for payments in respect of any qualified dependant adult and children.
I would like to reiterate that the Government strongly supports the work being done through these schemes and I have seen first-hand myself, over recent months, the vital role such schemes are playing in local communities, including supporting social services, across the entire country.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
103. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the processing times for carer's allowance and carer's benefit applications; the reason for the backlog of applications; her plans to address same; if additional staff will be allocated in order to clear same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46875/18]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a PRSI based payment made to a person who leaves the workforce to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made on both schemes where full-time care is being provided to two people.
Currently the average time taken to process new CA applications is 17 weeks and the average time taken to process new CARB applications is 14 weeks.
The principal reason for the length of time taken to process applications is the growth in recent years in the number of applications received.
It is also the case that social welfare schemes with a number of complex qualifying conditions can take longer to process. In addition, the documentary evidence provided at initial application stage can sometimes be incomplete or insufficient and this can contribute to the time taken to process applications.
Before a decision can be made on entitlement to CA, evidence must be provided in respect of the carer’s habitual residence in the State, the level of care they provide, their means and also that the person being cared for has such a disability that they require full-time care and attention.
Before a decision can be made on entitlement to CARB, a person has to show that they have the required level of PRSI contributions, that they were in full-time remunerative employment and that they have left that employment or reduced their hours of employment to no more than 15 hours per week outside their home, that they are providing full-time care and attention and that the person being cared for has such a disability that they require full-time care and attention.
The Department recently launched a re-designed CA application form which includes a new Care Report section which has been arrived at through consultation between officials and medical assessors of my Department and representatives and members of Family Carers Ireland. This new form allows carers to provide more information on the type and level of care they provide, with an aim to providing Deciding Officers with the information they need to expedite decisions on entitlement. It is planned to incorporate this new Care Report into the CARB application form in the coming months.
Also, additional staff have also recently been reassigned to the carers' payments area to work on claims processing and this should lead to a reduction in processing times.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
106. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if additional resources will be provided to reduce delays in the processing of carer's allowance applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46795/18]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested payment, made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of care. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people.
The target processing time for the CA scheme is to finalise 70% of new claims within 12 weeks. Currently the average time taken to process new CA applications is 17 weeks.
The principal reason for the length of time taken to process a CA claim is the growth in recent years in the number of applications received; these increased by 31% between 2015 and 2017. While no specific research into this has been undertaken by the Department, it is believed that the increase is broadly in line with demographic changes.
It is also the case that social welfare schemes with a number of complex qualifying conditions can take longer to process. Before a decision can be made on entitlement to CA, evidence must be provided in respect of the carer’s habitual residence in the State, the level of care they provide, their means and also that the person being cared for has such a disability that they require full-time care and attention. It is sometimes the case that the documentary evidence provided at initial application stage is incomplete or insufficient and this can contribute to the time taken to process applications.
The Department recently launched a re-designed CA application form which includes a new Care Report section which has been arrived at through consultation between officials and medical assessors of my Department and representatives and members of Family Carers Ireland. This new form allows carers to provide more information on the type and level of care they provide, with an aim to providing Deciding Officers with the information they need to expedite decisions on entitlement.
Also, additional staff have also recently been reassigned to the CA area to work on claims processing and this should lead to a reduction in processing times.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
114. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on whether the targets to reduce consistent poverty and child poverty by 2020 will be met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46812/18]
View answerThe National Social Target for Poverty Reduction (NSTPR) was agreed by Government in 2012 and aimed to reduce consistent poverty from 6.3% in 2010 to 4% by 2016 (interim target) and to 2% or less by 2020. It was an ambitious target, particularly during a time of economic recession, but one to which the Government has remained committed. The most recent poverty data from the CSO Survey on Income & Living Conditions (SILC) 2016 show that the consistent poverty rate had reduced to 8.3% from a peak of 9.1% in 2013.
However, the impact of the economic recovery was not fully reflected in this result, which captured income data for the period 2015-2016. Macro-economic and labour market indicators have shown continued economic and employment growth since then. When combined with measures introduced in recent Budgets, it is expected this will result in further improvements in the consistent poverty rate when the 2017 SILC data are released later this year.
The child-specific poverty target component of the NSTPR was to lift over 70,000 children (aged 0-17 years) out of consistent poverty by 2020, a reduction of at least two-thirds on the 2011 level. The number of children in consistent poverty rose significantly from the 2011 baseline figure of 107,000 to a high of 152,000 in 2014. By 2016, there were 132,000 children in consistent poverty requiring a reduction of more than 95,000 children in order to meet the 2020 target.
It is important to give some perspective and a sense of the size of the challenge Ireland faces in trying to achieve the child poverty target. In this context, it should be noted that at the height of the economic boom in 2008, when the consistent poverty rate for children was its lowest, there were 68,000 children in consistent poverty. So, in order to meet the target, Ireland will have to be more than twice as effective as our best ever performance to date.
Nevertheless, social transfers continue to play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and inequality and Ireland is among the best performing EU States for reducing poverty through social transfers. In 2016, social transfers more than halved the at-risk-of-poverty rate for children, from 40.3 per cent to 19.3 per cent.
In recent years with the improvement in the fiscal situation, the Government has been in a position to introduce a range of welfare increases which support families. Budget 2019 has continued this trend with measures including a €5 weekly increase to working age payments; increases to the qualified child allowance of €2.20 per week for children under 12 years of age and €5 per week for children over 12; additional increases to the earnings disregard for the One Parent Family payment and the Jobseekers transition payment (to €150 per week); an increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for both primary and secondary school children and an increase in the Christmas Bonus to 100%.
However, it should be noted that reducing child poverty is not just about income supports and welfare. Rather it is also about supporting parents to make the transition into employment and assisting families through the provision of quality affordable services in areas such as education, health, housing and childcare.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
118. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of young persons who have engaged with the youth employment support scheme, YESS; the number of employers that have registered under the scheme; the type of employment experience available to participants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46859/18]
View answerThe Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) commenced on Monday 1st October 2018.
A total of 100 vacancies have been advertised by 79 employers and, to date, 26 jobseekers have been successful in securing a placement.
The type of placements offered to jobseekers are quite varied and are across a number of different sectors including retail, wholesale, IT, pharmaceutical, general services and office administration. Each placement will be mentored and the scheme will provide a supportive structure for participants, including case worker support for both placement hosts and jobseekers. Participation on YESS is wholly voluntary.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
119. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the percentage of JobPath attendees that gained work after completing the course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46625/18]
View answerJobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. Jobseekers retain their jobseeker's payment and remain on the Live Register while engaged with JobPath unless they are placed in employment. Jobseekers may be supported through the service for up to 30 months and they have access to a personal adviser (PA) who works with them.
The Department publishes regular updates on the performance of the JobPath service on its website at http://www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/JobPath-Performance-Report2017.pdf. The website also includes reports of independent customer satisfaction surveys on the JobPath service. These reports indicate that JobPath attendees have higher employment outcomes than non-JobPath attendees and also that attendees are very satisfied with the service. In addition a detailed econometric study of outcomes is being finalised and will be will be published by the end of the year.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
121. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the level of red tape involved in the annual forms that applicants for farm assist are required to fill out and return will be reviewed; if the level of information that is required on an annual basis will be reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46876/18]
View answerFarm assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. To qualify for the payment, a customer must be a farmer, farming land in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test. The annual farm assist review form is a necessary part of the normal review process for these customers.
Following the Comptroller and Auditor General examination of the Farm Assist scheme in 2014 and the recommendations arising from that report the Department in response reviewed the annual declaration Farm 12 form. The revised form provides for a detailed annual review process which includes seeking information regarding the income generated and the operating costs of the farm all of which are required as part of the annual review process.
The means test for farm assist takes account of all income sources with certain disregards applicable to specific income sources. Different rules apply to income from farming and other forms of self-employment. Income from certain schemes such as the Green Low Carbon Agri Environment Scheme (GLAS), income from employment and income from property and capital are taken into account. An examination of farm outgoings is also included in the assessment process.
Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally used as an indicator of the expected position in the following year. Details of any exceptional circumstances are also taken into account so as to ensure that the assessment accurately reflects the current situation.
The annual farm assist review form is kept under ongoing review by my officials and there are no plans to change the current review criteria.
I hope that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
122. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps taken to honour the pension claim of community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors as per a 2008 Labour Court recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46858/18]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. They are not employees of my Department or public servants.
There are currently 1,345 Supervisors/Assistant Supervisors employed with CE sponsor organisations. While my Department funds wages and training costs in respect of CE participants and supervisors, it does not - and has not - provided provision for funding for CE supervisor pensions.
Employers, including CE sponsoring organisations, are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002.
On foot of the Labour Court recommendation, the issue of CE supervisor pensions is currently being examined by a Community Sector High Level Forum, chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A number of Departments, including my own Department, are represented on this group, as are the unions and Pobal.
A detailed scoping exercise was carried out with input from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) on the potential costs of providing Exchequer support for the establishment of such a pension scheme for employees across the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.
The exercise clearly illustrated that this matter presents very significant issues for the Exchequer. There is a potential cost to the State of €188 million per annum in respect of funding to enable an employer pension contribution in State-funded community and voluntary organisations, excluding any provision for immediate ex-gratia lump sum payments of pension as sought, which could, depending on the size of the sector, entail a further Exchequer cost of up to €318 million.
I am very conscious that while the issue relates to CE supervisors and assistant supervisors, such individuals comprise just one small group within the wider community and voluntary sector. Any provision of State funding for such a scheme in respect of those employees could potentially give rise to claims for similar schemes on the part of those in the broader sector, thus crystallising the potential level of liability. Any solution to this issue will require careful consideration, in particular the implications for scarce Exchequer resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
123. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the fact that decreases in the live register figure are not reflected in the average amount of income tax paid by taxpayers in County Wexford in each of the years from 2011 to 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46854/18]
View answerThe Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is twofold. First, through policies set out in the Action Plan for Jobs, which sets out Ireland’s policies in support of enterprise and employment growth. Second, through Pathways to Work to ensure that a substantial share of the jobs being created by economic recovery are filled by people taken from the Live Register.
Table 1 shows that the Live Register in Wexford has fallen by 40% in the 6 years to December 2017, close to the reduction of 42% nationally. In the year to December 2017, the Live Register in Wexford has fallen by 1,364 people, or almost 15.2%, again closely in line with national trends.
Table 2 compares national average income tax with average income tax paid in Wexford during the period 2011-2017. The figures show that the average amount of income tax paid in Wexford, increased by 57% during this 6 year period, exceeding national average growth of 42%.
Table 1
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
National Live Register |
444,905 |
436,254 |
418,950 |
383,779 |
343,556 |
302,945 |
258,580 |
|
% Change |
-1.9% |
-4.0% |
-8.4% |
-10.5% |
-11.8% |
-14.6% |
|
|
Wexford Live Register |
12.762 |
12,430 |
12,158 |
11,370 |
10,258 |
8,978 |
7,614 |
|
% Change |
-2.6% |
-2.2% |
-6.5% |
-9.8% |
-12.5% |
-15.2% |
https://www.cso.ie/en/index.html
Table 2
|
Year |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Average PAYE Income Tax (€m) |
11,375 |
12,414 |
12,955 |
13,951 |
14,590 |
15,272 |
16,202 |
|
% Change |
9% |
4% |
8% |
5% |
5% |
6% |
|
|
Average PAYE Income Tax Wexford (€m) |
110 |
115 |
122 |
141 |
150 |
161 |
173 |
|
% Change |
5% |
6% |
16% |
6% |
7% |
8% |
https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/index.aspx
While data from the Labour Force Survey is not available at the county level, trends in the Live Register can give an indication of underlying trends in local unemployment. To date, the policies being pursued under the Action Plan for Jobs and under Pathways to Work have been effective in reducing unemployment, both nationally and in Wexford. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
124. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the national action plan for social inclusion 2018-2021 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46811/18]
View answerTackling poverty remains a fundamental aspiration of Irish society and the Programme for a Partnership Government includes a firm commitment to develop a new Integrated Framework for Social Inclusion, to tackle inequality and poverty. This will be a successor to the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 (NAPinclusion) and its 2015-2017 update which concluded last year.
My department is developing the new four year plan for the period 2018-2021. Like its predecessor, the plan will have a ‘whole of Government’ approach that aims to improve outcomes for the vulnerable and marginalised in our society, while recognising a shared responsibility across Government to implement actions to achieve the overall objectives. The theme of the new plan is one of active inclusion, which will enable every citizen, notably the most disadvantaged, to fully participate in society, including having a job.
The primary focus will be the reduction of consistent poverty, which in 2016 was 8.3%. This will be achieved through a three pronged approach: supporting incomes through as high as possible a level of employment, and encouraging and assisting people to enter the workforce; setting the relevant welfare payments at appropriate levels; and finally improving access to quality services such as health, education, childcare, training, housing, community supports in order to minimise deprivation for all groups and, in particular those who are on relatively low incomes.
Following consultation on its development earlier this year and engagement with other Departments on appropriate actions for inclusion, work on the new strategy is at an advanced stage.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
126. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the discussions she has had with the authorities in Northern Ireland and her counterpart in the British Government regarding the operation of the free travel scheme post Brexit; if there will be no disruption to this scheme particularly in respect of cross-Border travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46796/18]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 928,216 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €90 million.
The All Ireland free travel scheme allows a free travel pass holder (those aged 66 and older) to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services within Northern Ireland using a senior smartpass card. Similarly, Northern Ireland senior smartpass holders (aged 65 years or older) are entitled to travel for free on services in Ireland using their existing senior smartpass card. This is a bilateral arrangement, and does not apply to other parts of the EU.
A key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the current reciprocal arrangements for social security schemes and services between Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland. This includes the arrangements for the All Ireland free travel scheme.
The Government's long-term objective is to ensure that the reciprocity of rights which currently exist for Irish and UK citizens moving within Ireland and between Ireland and the UK under the Common Travel Area, are safeguarded and maintained.
I met with the UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Right Honourable Esther McVey, on Monday 23rd April 2018. I emphasised my objective of ensuring that the reciprocity of social welfare rights and entitlements, which currently exist for Irish and UK citizens moving within Ireland and between Ireland and the UK under the Common Travel Area, are safeguarded and maintained.
127. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for Turas Nua and Seetec in view of the improvement in the number of persons at work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46813/18]
View answerBringing the long-term unemployed back into the workforce is a key priority for me, and I welcome the on-going reduction in the Live Register.
As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service which supports people who are long-term unemployed to secure and sustain full time paid employment. Two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua, have been contracted by my Department to deliver the service. The contracts are for six years, comprising two consecutive phases: phase one entails four years’ of client referrals, while phase two entails a ‘run off’ period during which time no additional clients will be referred. Therefore client referrals will cease on 31st December 2019 and the contracts will terminate in 2021. It is important to note that services will be delivered to completion for those clients referred during phase one.
The contracts include options to extend phase one for further periods (up to a maximum of 24 months) at my Department’s discretion. While proposals to extend the contracts are not currently under consideration, my Department will keep the situation under review.
At present, a full econometric evaluation of the service is being conducted in conjunction with the OECD. The results of this econometric evaluation will inform my Department's consideration of any future developments in this area.
129. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in the south east to date who have found employment through the JobPath service; the number of persons in the south east who have returned to claim social welfare payments having previously taken up employment through the JobPath service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46855/18]
View answerJobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment.
Jobseekers may be supported through the service for up to 30 months: under the service jobseekers have access to a personal adviser (PA) who works with them potentially over two phases.
During the first phase, of 12 months duration, the PA provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. It should be noted that the aim of the JobPath service is to find sustainable employment for clients during this phase. The second phase only starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work (during phase one). During this phase the PA continues to work with the jobseeker for a further period of at least three months, and up to 12 months, providing in employment supports. In addition to the two phases jobseekers may also undertake training while with the service and this may extend the period the jobseeker is supported through the service for up to a further 6 months. The duration of the client journey therefore necessitates the requirement of a cohort based approach to reporting and the updating of individual cohort outcome data over time.
In regard to individual clients returning to claim social welfare payments having previously taken up employment through the JobPath service, my Department does not collate and process such specific data and the information requested is currently unavailable.
The Department is currently undertaking an econometric review of this strand of its activation services. Completion of this review is provisionally scheduled for the end of 2018, following which more detailed and robust statistics will be available.
Feedback on the JobPath service has been very positive; the Department recently published the results of the 2017 Customer Satisfaction Survey. While the results of the 2016 survey revealed high levels of customer satisfaction, the 2017 survey has shown an improvement across all aspects of the service, including an improvement between 2016 and 2017 for the overall satisfaction with the service.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
