Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
412. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the contractual payment structure for providers under the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services differs in respect of beneficiaries of temporary protection compared to other clients; whether payment triggers, milestone payments or outcome payments vary by cohort; and if he will provide details of same. [15836/26]
View answer413. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has estimated the reduction in welfare expenditure arising from beneficiaries of temporary protection securing sustained employment through the National Employment Service or Local Area Employment Services; the estimated increase in income tax and PRSI receipts attributable to such employment; and whether any cost-benefit or value-for-money assessment has been conducted in this regard. [15837/26]
View answer414. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average duration in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment prior to referral to contracted employment services for beneficiaries of temporary protection; the equivalent duration for all other jobseekers; and whether any differential activation pathway applies. [15838/26]
View answer415. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether additional supports, including English language training, translation assistance or tailored integration measures, are funded within the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in respect of beneficiaries of temporary protection; and the total cost of such supports since 2022 [15839/26]
View answer416. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any formal review, audit, performance evaluation or value-for-money assessment has been undertaken since 2022 in respect of referrals of beneficiaries of temporary protection to contracted employment services; and if he will provide the title and completion date of any such review. [15840/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 412, 413, 414, 415 and 416 together.
I propose to take Parliamentary Questions 15836/26, 15837/26, 15838/26, 15839/26 and 15840/26 together.
On 4th March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive. This means that people arriving from Ukraine under the Temporary Directive have an entitlement to avail of all income supports and services from the Department of Social Protection on the same basis as Irish citizens.
When beneficiaries of temporary protection engage with my Department’s contracted employment support services, their engagement is handled in a way that is entirely uniform with all other customers who engage with those services. My Department has not undertaken an assessment of the estimated reduction in welfare expenditure or an assessment of the estimated income tax and PRSI receipts arising from beneficiaries of temporary protection securing sustained employment through the National Employment Service or through the Local Area Employment Service. My Department has not undertaken any formal review, performance evaluation, cost-benefit or value-for-money assessment in respect of beneficiaries of temporary protection referred to the Department’s contracted employment services.
The contractual payment structures in place with providers of the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services do not differentiate between jobseekers who are beneficiaries of temporary protection and any other cohort of jobseekers availing of these services.
A distinctive client journey has been embedded into the employment services process, whereby jobseekers on the Live Register, after engaging with Intreo in the first twelve months are referred firstly to the Intreo Partner National Employment Service and after 24 months to the Intreo Partner Local Area Employment Service which is designed to engage with those with greater barriers to the labour market. In this way, the client is referred to the most appropriate service at each point in time on their client journey. When any customer of this department has been in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment for 12 months, they become eligible for referral to the department’s contracted employment services. In this regard, my department treats jobseekers who are also beneficiaries of temporary protection in a manner that is entirely consistent with all other jobseekers.
Providers of the National employment service and Local Area Employment service are not contractually obliged to provider English language training, translation assistance or tailored integration measures, however, providers tailor their services to meet the individual needs of each customer.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
