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JobPath Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 January 2019

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

Ceisteanna (567, 568, 582, 584, 585)

John Brady

Ceist:

567. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons referred to JobPath since it commenced; and the number of persons who have been referred to JobPath for a second time. [4109/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

568. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on JobPath in 2018. [4110/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

582. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have commenced employment through the JobPath scheme, by county, since its introduction in tabular form. [4376/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

584. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons engaged with JobPath by county; and the number of those with a penalty rate in place, by county, in tabular form. [4424/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

585. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons engaged with JobPath since its introduction in 2015; and the number of penalty rates applied in each county over the same period, by county, in tabular form. [4425/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 567, 568, 582, 584 and 585 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 a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed to obtain and sustain paid employment. The service was launched in 2015 on a, "rolling basis", with referral numbers gradually increasing over time. Between July 2015 and January 2019, some 205,000 jobseekers had engaged with the service.

My Department selects clients for the JobPath service by means of a random selection process, and protocols for selection currently preclude the selection of anyone who has already completed 52 weeks with the JobPath service within the previous four months. If, however, at the end of this period the jobseeker has not engaged in other activation supports and services, they then become eligible for selection for a second period of activation on the JobPath programme.

To date, just over 21,000 jobseekers have commenced a second engagement period with the service, having availed of the service previously.

Jobseekers referred for a second time will start working with a Personal Adviser, who will review their development during their previous time with the service, and together they will prepare a new personal progression plan to build on that progress. The actions and tasks agreed will be based on their previous engagement, with particular focus on the identified barriers that are preventing the person moving into full-time suitable employment.

Between July 2015 and January 2019, approximately 14,000 jobseekers had a penalty rate applied to their payment at some point during their engagement period with the JobPath service.

These are broken down by county in Table 1.

There are currently some 79,000 people engaged with the service, of which 432, or 0.5%, have a current penalty rate applied to their payment. This figure is consistent with the overall level of penalty rate applied across all jobseekers.

These are broken down by county in Table 2.

JobPath providers do not apply or recommend the application of a penalty rate of payment. They simply advise my Department if a jobseeker is failing to attend activation meetings. Officials in my Department then contact jobseekers and seek to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter directly with them. The application of penalty rates is entirely a matter for my Department, and officials involved will take all relevant factors into account.

In the interests of natural justice, a jobseeker who fails to participate in the activation process, whether that is provided directly by the Intreo Service or via a contracted service provider, is given both written and verbal warnings and an opportunity to comply before a reduced rate of payment is applied. Furthermore, jobseekers can, through co-operation with the activation service of my Department, benefit from early re-instatement of the full rate of Jobseeker’s payment.

The legislation underpinning the application of reduced rates of payment is provided for in the Social Welfare Act 2010. All decisions on the application of reduced rates of payment are made by Deciding Officers and are based on all the available evidence and the circumstances of each case. The jobseeker can appeal the Deciding Officer’s decision through the Social Welfare Appeals Office, SWAO.

Reduced rates are only applied where a jobseeker fails to engage as requested, and following at least two warnings, with the Department’s employment services.

To date, some 46,000 jobseekers have commenced employment during their engagement period with JobPath as set out in Table 3.

There are two phases to the JobPath service. During the first phase of 12 months duration, a personal advisor, PA, provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. The second phase starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work. During this phase, the PA continues to work with the client for a further period of up to 12 months. 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 six months.

It should be noted that the figures presented in Table 3 are representative of the entire cohort of JobPath clients between July 2015 and January 2019 and all job starts in the same period. Many clients who are currently engaged with JobPath are still in the first phase of the service and will not have had sufficient time with the service to have gained employment. It is expected that this performance will improve as more clients complete their engagement with the service.

I trust that this clarifies matter for the Deputy.

Table 1: People engaged with JobPath since its introduction in 2015

County

Jobseekers who engaged with JobPath July 2015 - January 2019

Jobseekers who had a penalty rate applied during their engagement with JobPath July 2015 - January 2019

Carlow

4765

160

Cavan

4659

500

Clare

4919

360

Cork

18059

660

Donegal

10645

470

Dublin

41215

3400

Galway

9195

630

Kerry

6975

480

Kildare

8331

640

Kilkenny

4070

180

Laois

4671

550

Leitrim

1962

200

Limerick

9950

730

Longford

4166

360

Louth

8777

750

Mayo

6277

30

Meath

4458

320

Monaghan

2719

300

Offaly

5560

570

Roscommon

1929

80

Sligo

3198

150

Tipperary

8861

510

Waterford

7145

210

Westmeath

6860

580

Wexford

9795

740

Wicklow

6023

440

Total

205184

14000

Table 2: Jobseekers currently engaged with JobPath who currently have a penalty rate applied

County

Currently engaged with JobPath

Currently engaged with JobPath with a current Penalty Rate

Carlow

1775

N/A

Cavan

1727

10

Clare

1845

N/A

Cork

6163

16

Donegal

4421

33

Dublin

17370

186

Galway

3936

24

Kerry

2419

N/A

Kildare

2829

9

Kilkenny

1469

8

Laois

1817

8

Leitrim

860

N/A

Limerick

3525

20

Longford

1451

N/A

Louth

3656

13

Mayo

2802

N/A

Meath

2086

13

Monaghan

1110

7

Offaly

2016

12

Roscommon

892

N/A

Sligo

1350

N/A

Tipperary

3176

14

Waterford

2245

N/A

Westmeath

2557

9

Wexford

2992

26

Wicklow

2304

N/A

Total

78793

432

Please note: Counties marked "N/A" are those counties where there are five penalty rates (or less) currently in place, these are not shown within the table however they are included in the overall total.

Table 3: Jobseekers engaged with JobPath who have commenced employment July 2015- January 2019

County

Jobseekers engaged with JobPath who have commenced employment July 2015 - January 2019

Carlow

1235

Cavan

934

Clare

1127

Cork

4484

Donegal

1739

Dublin

8475

Galway

1796

Kerry

2016

Kildare

2436

Kilkenny

1076

Laois

1079

Leitrim

384

Limerick

2570

Longford

872

Louth

1868

Mayo

854

Meath

800

Monaghan

687

Offaly

1349

Roscommon

307

Sligo

597

Tipperary

2142

Waterford

1816

Westmeath

1536

Wexford

2624

Wicklow

1341

Grand Total

46144

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