Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I thank the officials for attending and their presentation. The committee has discussed the reduction in the level of youth unemployment which could be due to emigration and young people remaining in education, as well as some going back to work. How many have returned to work? We know the percentage reduction, but we would like to know how many are going back to work as opposed to emigrating and so on?

On the previous occasion we discussed the JobBridge scheme with the officials we were informed that there was a 60% success rate in people gaining employment following an internship. Has this percentage increased or decreased? As I have stated previously, I know of employers who have taken people on under the scheme and who have then reduced the hours of their full-time employees. The officials are making faces, but this is happening. I reported this to social welfare officers at the time because the permanent employee had been given reduced hours as a result of the free labour provided through the internship, which is not good enough. An employer who does this should not be granted another intern.

I was contacted by a young man who has returned to education via the Springboard programme. He is undertaking a culinary arts course in an institute of technology. He was given a form to apply to take an intensive course next year run by Bord Fáilte through the institute of technology, which is grand. His employer told him that he could gain some work experience over the summer while he was waiting to start his next course. The poor lad is betwixt and between because if he does that work, he will not qualify for the back to education allowance to take the next course. He will have to refuse work, which is the kernel of the problem. People will not take up work opportunities because they will lose their benefits. That should not happen to this young lad. He should be allowed to take his summer job and return to take his next course in a few months. He did not even complete the junior certificate programme, but, with the help of his parents, he went back to education and is trying to re-educate himself. He now finds that the State is working against him by penalising him if he engages in summer employment. That issue needs to be addressed.