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OF THE 226,851 people referred to the government’s JobPath service, only 14,617 (6.44%) held down a job for over a year.
The latest figures released show that in the four years that the scheme has been operational, the government has spent over €182 million on it.
Of the 226,851, only 74,000 are now engaged with the scheme, according to the JobPath figures.
They also show that under the government initiative, 51,548 people commenced work, but over 101,303 people who were referred to JobPath in the last four years got nothing from the scheme.
JobPath is an employment activation service provided to people who have been on the live register for more than 12 months and are trying to secure and sustain full-time paid employment or self-employment.
The two private companies employed by the State, Turas Nua and Seetec, to operate the scheme have received €75.7 million and €73.3 million respectively to carry out its work.
The two contractors are paid to work with both the jobseeker and employers to identify employment opportunities. They receive payments when someone who has taken part in the scheme gains proven employment.
Period of employment
JobPath figures for the last four years show that of the 51,548 people who commenced work under the programme, the majority only stayed in a job for a period of 13 weeks (31,186).
A total of 24,234 people sustained work for 26 weeks, while 18,808 sustained work for 39 weeks.
Just 14,617 people sustained work for 52 weeks.
Since the rollout of the scheme, questions have been raised about the payments the private companies get in relation to the number of jobseekers on the books.
The latest figures show that 27,830 people were referred to JobPath more than once, with 27,476 referred twice. A total of 354 people were referred on the programme three times
Sustainment payments are made to the companies over the course of a year in respect of each person who secures employment having engaged in the JobPath process.
TheJournal.ie revealed last year that the private companies contracted by the State to run the scheme are entitled to €3,718 for every jobseeker that gains sustained employment for one year through the JobPath scheme.
Those that refuse to engage with the scheme can have their social welfare reduced or cut off.
“Earlier this year, Sinn Féin brought forward a Dáil motion which called for an end to JobPath referrals and an end to the mandatory nature of the scheme. This motion was passed by the Dáil, yet Minister Doherty chose to ignore the will of the Dáil and has to date, taken no action.
“I am calling on Minister Doherty to open her eyes. JobPath has failed. It has to go,” Sinn Féin’s John Brady told TheJournal.ie.
Despite the Dáil voting for referrals to JobPath to end, the government scheme is still up and running.
Contract with private companies
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said in a recent parliamentary question that the contract held by the two private companies commenced in 2015 and, under the terms of the contracts signed with the providers, will run for at least six years.
“This includes a period of at least four years of client referrals to the end of 2019, and a run-off period of at least two years,” she said.
Doherty added that the contract includes an option which could extend the term of referrals for two periods of up to 12 months each the end of 2019.
The minister said:
The process of procuring contracted public employment services for 2020 and beyond is in its early stages of development. My officials are working to design a procurement model that will balance the need for value for money for taxpayers with the importance of preserving high-quality employment advisory services.
She added that as part of this process the ongoing requirements of the public employment service including the period for client referrals under JobPath are currently being considered.
“To date no decisions have been taken in this regard. However, my Department is currently considering how best to continue to provide a high-quality public employment service that meets the needs of all jobseekers, while looking to provide employment services to those most distant from the labour market and to people who have not previously availed of these services,” she said.
The Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday that the department had defended the success of the scheme stating that 20% of the people that go through the programme get employment.
Correspondence to members of the committee also stated that the department plans to carry out another report on the scheme to highlight the savings that it has yielded in terms of having people working for a period of time, rather than being on social welfare.
Independent TD Catherine Connolly said she disagreed with the department’s defence of the programme, stating that having a State agency, rather than private companies, involved in employment would be a more “wholesome approach”.
She also said reports on the scheme “assess a spectrum of criteria to fit the result that is wanted”. She added that JobPath is “not giving value for money”.
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So before this drivers were prosecuted and fined because it with not safe to practice this, now it’s ok
@James J Mc Ardle: I was thinking the same.
@James J Mc Ardle: not because of delays its a shortage of drivers in the country wouldn’t be listening to ffg
@James J Mc Ardle: Absolutely beyond a joke, told for years go over your hours is not safe, don’t drive tired you need minimum rest and if you don’t you’re gonna get fined and points on your licence, now sure its grand we need u now and everything we said before doesn’t count! Joke Gov/RSA are!
@Philip Mckenna: It’s not so black and white. It doesn’t suddenly go from very dangerous to perfectly safe at a fixed number of hours per week. The original limit would have been set to minimise (not eliminate) accidents due to fatigue. That risk has to be balanced against the risk of food and medical supply shortages.
@James J Mc Ardle: exactly, if an accident happens due to this relaxation of the Safety rules, sue the RSA.
@Ian James Burgess: it clearly states that health and safety still applies, drivers are still not allowed drive if fatigued.
@Paul Clancy: how do we measure fatigue??
@Paul Clancy: and how will that work if the driver tells their boss they’re going home because they are tired
@Philip Mckenna: as a doctor I feel ya. There are times I’ve been in work where I’m so exhausted from brutal never ending shifts that I feel unsafe. But if we don’t turn up then the team is down a doctor…this derogation of essential workers needs to stop.
@Mjhint: with a ruler dummy.
@SJF: getting 150k a year helps
@Jason Healy: not fat. Fatigue. You’re measuring the wrong thing. The luv ah jaysus.
@Mjhint: ah right. Wrong thread sorry. I’ll put back on my pants…
Making the people that do show up work harder and longer is not the answer. On any industry
@Brian Sherry: there’s a shortage of drivers due to backlogs, lengthened journeys due to vat changes and brexit. What’s your short-term solution?
@Hugh Morris: allow positive covid drivers with little or no symptoms to work.
@Hugh Morris: pay a proper base level wage, pay proper over time for hours above 45 hours, give time proper time off for hours worked not annual leave based time off, pay drivers for taking a day to do Cpc training or pay for the training, The list is endless but time and time again we see haulage association members becoming TDS and councillors and blocking any such fare wage proposals. The price of rent in Ireland is one of the many causes for European drivers heading home as they are finding the wages offered at home are as good as it is here but the cost of living; food, rent etc is much cheaper. This is a short time measure but seems an over reach and could lead to a serious accident with a hgv. An extra 25 hours driving over a two week cycle is madness. Better to fast track the modules of training leading up to a test, Cpc training modules etc. To many of these modules are useless and repetitive. Cost of getting a hgv licence has risen from 1000€ to nearly 2100€, who can afford that? Only in Oct it was said there wasn’t a shortage?
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christoph: Havent done a cpc that wasn’t absolutely pointless and I have to pay a fee and lose a days wage for the privilege!
@OConnelj: good thing drivers don’t interact with anyone during the course of work. Only the warehouse at the start, the customer at the end and every time they need to fuel.
Great solution there!
@Philip Mckenna: So repeating the same subjects every 5 years with nothing new added as the legislation hardly ever changes is ok?
It’s like sending kids to school and they repeat the same subjects over and over.
@Colm O’ Shea: i think everybody with little or no symptoms should be allowed to work. Not just truck drivers. What do you suggest we do, considering covid is with us for good?
Either it’s safe or not. If it’s safe for all road users for these drivers to work under these conditions, why was it changed in the past.
@TrollsRrealpeople2: Nothing is either “safe or it’s not” everything carries a certain level of risk. For example, define safe? No accidents on the road? Or below a certain number? If you’re going to say it’s either safe or it’s not, then you have to define “safe”. And if you make no changes to the driving hours, what about the risk of food and medical shortages?
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Well when we are fined on the side of the road or in court we are given a lecture about how unsafe it is for driving over our hours and we have to listen to this $hit.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: You look at the reason why the number of hours we’re changed in the first place. Was it to prevent those doing the job from making loads of cash or was it to reduce fatigue on the driver, which in turn reduced the risk of an incident. (Make it safer) As for the other issue. We’ve a defence force with plenty of qualified HGV drivers. Get them delivering. Safety must be the priority.
Not only putting the drivers at risk but every other road user as well. Really playing dangerous games with this.
Outrageous that any body with the word ‘Safety’ in its name would countenance this. 56 hours a week is 8 hours driving for every day of the week. Try it some time and tell me that you’re not falling asleep at the wheel by day 3.
If you listen carefully you can hear the clink of magnets been removed up & down the country
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: very good :)
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: I’m afraid you’re late to the party.Magnets are not what’s used now as modern trucks won’t allow it. Its far more sophisticated now. Its get the obd dongle out.
The extra few hours won’t make much difference. I for one won’t be doing those hours.!! Not for the sh!£e pay that’s out there. Some drivers are stretched to the maximum as it is. Bring the wages back to a good standard..
@Mark G: deal with it
@Hugh Morris: Have you ever drove a truck ? Worked 15 hour days ? Early starts 1am overnight trunking etc, Or the fact that the people who enforce/make the rules work a 40hr week mostly Monday to Friday.
Then there is the pay and conditions which has being eroded over the last 14 years since the recession, Big named companies well known in Ireland hiring drivers via agency zero hour contracts.
No OT or shift allowance weekend etc just a flat rate of pay, Lads I know left the industry 10 years ago, And haven’t looked back.
@Dave Byrne: yes
@Hugh Morris: So you are happy to work extra hours, And as another poster mentioned get fined for going over hours last week but when the derogation kicks in it’s OK.
@Dave Byrne: make hay while the sun shines
So should any driver who has been done in the past be exonerated now that its deemed not so dangerous anymore
That has to be one of the most ridiculous moves I’ve heard of in ages. Last week they would be prosecuted for doing it, now they are allowed do it. They need to find another way around this.
@Joe_X: Isn’t that how law changes generally work? i.e. previously something was not allowed/allowed but since the change, it is/isn’t?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: yes, but are changes to the laws usually to make things safer for those the law is directed at, and those around them, In this case, the drivers and the other road users about them. This just seems like a retroactive step to me.
Change the regulations when it suits.
Ah so it’s time to put her on the magic so and all legal. Wink wink nudge nudge. I presume the extra hours will be double time.
Try to explain to the French man on the side of the road if France when you’re stopped for tacho check. Try to tell him that rsa said I’ll be grand with those reduced breaks.
@Darek Warzecha: I’d imagine it’s just internal haulage.
The option of volunteer Army drivers has not been mentioned, or retired drivers, to increase supply without increasing the risk to lives and property.
@John Colgan: Army drivers would need a digi card and tbe retired lads wouldn’t bother getting back into an industry,Were the T&C have gone downhill.
I get a kick when driving the motorway and a lorry I’m overtaking is swerving slightly, And there he is on the phone!
have your say