Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2012
472. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality since he took office, the number of internees that have been recruited to his Department including those processing applications for Irish citizenship; the number been offered permanent posts and the number of currently working in the Department. [42974/12]
View answerMy Department is actively engaging in the Government’s jobs activation programme through participating in the National Internship Scheme – JobBridge. This scheme provides work experience placements for interns for a 6 or 9 month period. The aim is to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills.
The Department has already advertised some 40 separate internship opportunities across a range of vocational areas including the legislative area, statistics, procurement, customer relations and general administration. A total of 60 placements have been made to date. There are currently 35 individuals on placements across the Department.
The Deputy will appreciate that the Department cannot offer full-time employment at the end of an internship period, as where exceptions to the moratorium on recruitment are permitted, recruitment to the Civil Service is typically governed by a process of open public competition organised under the aegis of the Public Appointments Service. JobBridge does, however, provide significant and in some cases challenging job experience opportunities to persons in need of such opportunities and better prepares them for either re-entry to the jobs market or a change in job direction.
