More than €202 million has been given to the private companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, to roll out what can only be described as the failed JobPath programme. To date, more than 232,000 citizens have been referred to JobPath, some of them for the fourth year in succession. I refer to "failed" JobPath because only 6%, or approximately 15,000, of those people have been sustained in employment for 12 months or more. The House was told that referrals were due to stop this year, but a decision was taken to continue referrals to the JobPath programme for another 12 months. What is the reason for that decision? Why has the Government decided to ignore the will of this Dáil, which voted in February 2019 to stop referrals immediately to the failed JobPath programme?

The Dáil made a decision to end referrals to JobPath earlier this year. I am not questioning the competency of the people providing the service but it has failed, of that there is no question. Some €150 million has been spent on this scheme and we have, as Deputy Brady said, a 6% success rate for people holding down a job after one year. If we compare it to the community employment CE schemes, the participants taking part in them get satisfaction from what they do. The people in the communities are very happy with the work they are doing. Recently, CE scheme supervisors were told the number of participants on their projects at week eight will automatically become their approved number for those 52 weeks.

It is a cut.

That means if a participant becomes ill, has to leave a scheme to care for somebody or gets a job, that place on the scheme will be lost. Therefore, it is a cut. That is not right, given that the CE schemes are working compared to the other schemes mentioned.

I will have to defer to the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, to provide the Deputy with an answer regarding the CE schemes.

On JobPath, all I would say is that by any objective analysis this Government’s employment policies have been a resounding success. There are 2.3 million people at work in Ireland, more people than ever before, unemployment is below 5% and long-term unemployment is even lower at around 2%, one of the lowest in the world. JobPath has been part of achieving that, as have CE schemes, the local employment service, LES, and the Intreo programme.

I am advised, although I may incorrect, the decision to continue with JobPath for a period relates to our concerns that should there be a no-deal Brexit we may see a rise in unemployment and long-term unemployment and will need that capacity.