Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
82. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to re-examine the requirement that persons that signed up to JobPath may not participate in a community employment scheme for up to one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8441/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra95. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons on JobPath cannot transfer to social employment or community employment schemes, such as community employment or rural social schemes, when such vacancies arise while they are on JobPath; the status of the review of the rights of persons that work seasonal and part-time in view of the report submitted to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8340/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 95 together.
JobPath is one of a range of activation supports, including employment schemes such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús, catering for unemployed jobseekers. Long term unemployed jobseekers who are not engaged with any other activation scheme or service are referred by my Department to the JobPath service to receive intensive individual support, including relevant training and educational programmes which will assist them in finding full-time sustainable employment.
Jobseekers can only participate with one activation scheme or service at a time, this is necessary to enable the scheme and service providers’ have sufficient time to work with them in order to develop their skills and competencies so they are in a better position pursue suitable work opportunities which may result in sustainable full time job.
However, if on the date of their referral to JobPath, a person has a written offer with a start date within four weeks for CE, they will be facilitated to take up the placement.
While schemes such as CE provide long-term unemployed people with part-time experience as a stepping stone back to employment, they are not full-time sustainable jobs. Referral to JobPath is generally for a 52 week period, participation on an employment scheme remains an option for each person if they continue to be fully unemployed at the end of their engagement with the JobPath service.
The rural social scheme (RSS) provides opportunities for low income farmers and fishermen who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities.
The current selection process for JobPath excludes those jobseekers categorised as self-employed including those actively farming or fishing. However a person who is currently engaged with the JobPath service is eligible to apply for a placement with RSS once the relevant qualifying conditions are satisfied and a suitable opportunity is available to the client.
With regard to people engaged in Seasonal or Part-time employment, An Taoiseach, in his previous role as Minister for Social Protection, gave a commitment at Dáil report stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 that he would ask officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary employment. My officials have recently completed this report on these issues which I will consider in detail.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
