With more than €250 million spent to date on the Jobpath scheme, Independent Galway East TD, Seán Canney, has asked if the scheme is providing "value for money".
Jobpath which provides long term unemployed jobseekers with access to an employment and advice service for a period of 12 months. Jobpath providers are paid a fee for this service and more than €250 million has been paid out between 2015 and 2020 - €71.7 million was paid out in 2018 alone.
The figures were released to Dep Canney by the Department of Social Protection. “This is a very high expenditure and I question if we are getting value for money on this," he said. "I note that jobpath maybe a box ticking exercise”.
He said this level of expenditure could be "better spent on incentivising employers to take on jobseekers and providing additional tax credits to jobseekers who are successful in getting employment”. He called for a review of the scheme to "ensure value for money at all times”.
