As per Government policy, my Department is responsible as the State's Public Employment Service for providing employment assistance and advice services to all jobseekers and members of the public who require these services. Contracted providers such as the Local Employment Services and JobPath provide my Department with the capacity to support the long term unemployed with the provision of 52 weeks of employment services support.
Given the scale of the challenge facing the Public Employment Service, my Department, in line with the commitments contained in the July Jobs Stimulus package, is moving to expand the capacity of the Public Employment Service, including that provided by contracted providers. No contracts held by my Department with any contracted public employment service provider, including either of the JobPath providers, has been suspended or cancelled. I am not in position to advise the Deputy of any contractual arrangements that there may be pertaining to other Departments at this time.
Referrals to all of my Department's employment services, both internal and external (including JobPath and Local Employment Services) were temporarily suspended on three occasions since March 2020. Referrals recently recommenced to all employment service providers, including my Department’s Intreo service on 8th March 2021. Referrals to the Department's employment services are engaged with in accordance with the public health guidelines and dealt with on a remote basis. Contracted services will where appropriate facilitate face to face meetings in line with HSE Covid-19 guidelines should any client require it.
My Department's contracted public employment services providers support both the long term unemployed who are in receipt of a jobseeker's payment and those who found but then subsequently lost their employment to complete the balance of their original 52 week employment service engagement period.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
