Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2016
462. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills to support a school in its request for a grant for a JobBridge scheme employment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4972/16]
View answerJobBridge is a national internship scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. The scheme was introduced to provide a pathway to appropriate employment, training and education opportunities for a specific cohort of jobseekers on the Live Register. Changes to the scheme are therefore a matter for the Department of Social Protection in the first instance.
Recognised Schools and Education and Training Boards may participate in the scheme if they wish under Department of Education and Skills Circular 46/2011. An internship must not cause an existing member of staff to be displaced from the school or be used to fill a current vacancy in the school. Interns are in addition to any staffing allocation a school/ETB has.
Interns in schools are employed by the schools themselves and they continue to be paid their existing social welfare entitlement from the Department of Social Protection plus an additional €50 per week whilst participating in the scheme. The intern in the school in question was employed as an office receptionist. My Department provides funding by way of per capita grants to all voluntary secondary schools within the Free Education Scheme which includes funding for secretarial and caretaking services.
The school referred to by the Deputy is a voluntary secondary school within the Free Education Scheme and receives funding on the same basis as other voluntary secondary schools. The Deputy may wish to note that Circular 48/2009 clarifies issues relating to the allocation of funding to voluntary secondary schools. The circular states that capitation funding provided for general running costs and funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services may be regarded as a common grant which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
I have no plans to change the current funding arrangements.
