Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 October 2019
155. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the circumstances that allow a person an exemption of referral to JobPath if mental health grounds are included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41345/19]
View answerJobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed, including those working part time and those at risk of becoming long-term unemployed, to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. All jobseekers over one year on the Live Register are eligible for selection for the JobPath service and customers are chosen by means of a random selection process.
All Jobseekers on the live register must be capable of; available for and actively seeking full time employment. They are also required to engage with the Department’s activation services. The Social Welfare (Consolidated) Act 2005, as amended, specifies that participation in activation meetings is mandatory.
If a customer's circumstances change in regard to being capable of and actively seeking full time employment prior to or while they are engaged with the service, they should discuss those circumstances with their Personal Advisor on the JobPath service or contact my Department's staff at their local Intreo Centre regarding their personal situation. If another DEASP scheme is more suitable for the individual's circumstances, they will be supported in making an application for same
Should a customer wish to make an application for another scheme, the customer's JobPath referral will be paused pending a decision being made on their application. Pausing a JobPath referral removes the obligation to engage with the JobPath provider for a specified period of time and ensures that no penalties are incurred by persons awaiting a decision on an alternative payment.
If the Deputy would like to provide details of a specific case I will arrange to have it examined by my Department.
