Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013
519. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if the possibility of permitting an exception to the current minimum hours requirement for jobbridge placements has been considered in the context of the independent evaluation of the scheme with a view to accommodating interns with disabilities; if she will be amenable to such a recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1631/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, provides internship opportunities of either 6 or 9 months for unemployed individuals in organisations in the private, public and community voluntary sectors and at present is limited to individuals who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days).
The Deputy refers to the requirement that an intern is required to participate in the scheme for a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40 hours per week. JobBridge is a targeted labour market activation intervention intended to assist jobseekers to break the cycle where they are unable to get a job without experience, to provide those seeking employment with the opportunity to gain work experience, maintain close links with the labour market and to enhance their skills and competencies through an internship opportunity, thereby improving their prospects of securing employment in the future. The scheme gives individuals a real opportunity to gain valuable experience to bridge the gap to the beginning of the rest of their working lives.
Further information on outcomes will be ascertained as a result of the ongoing formal evaluation of JobBridge. It is anticipated that the final Report will be available in the coming weeks. This evaluation will assess the design, delivery and impact of the JobBridge Scheme, it will provide details of the nature of the work experience of the participants; a measurement of the relevance of that experience to the labour market, analysis of age categories and further findings concerning progression into employment. It will also present recommendations on how the Scheme might be improved. It is at this stage that further consideration will be given to amending the terms and conditions of the Scheme including the minimum hours to be undertaken by interns (including those with disabilities). Any such amendments to the scheme will be notified via the website.
I would further advise the Deputy that there are a number of other schemes available to assist people with disabilities return to the work place. These include Work Placement Programme which specifies the minimum number of hours to be undertaken as 25 per week.
