John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The other issue I have concerns job activation schemes. In a report from the ESRI, looking at the social impact of budgets between 2009 and 2016, it states that the greatest losses imposed by budgets between 2009 and 2016 were for single, unemployed people. The measures which were brought in attacked people under the age of 26 by reducing their social welfare payments to €100. They were discriminatory and need to be addressed. For the many people who live on their own, this is not sustainable. Will the Minister address this? There have been a number of cuts over the years for those under 26 and this needs to dealt with immediately.

The Minister made many announcements over the summer about job activation schemes and there was a lot of flag flying. A serious issue arose when an audit carried out into JobBridge identified serious issues in the scheme dating back to earlier in the year. The Minister has already said it is his intention to bring forward a replacement for JobBridge. Are we close to seeing the detail on that? My predecessor, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, raised serious concerns about JobBridge, as I have done. The Minister said he did not know of any concerns about the scheme and that none had been brought to his attention. The auditors carried out the audit and it is sitting somewhere. I have written to the Minister asking to see it as it is essential it is seen by all Members.