Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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We have heard that a further 60 Intreo offices are being rolled out in the next couple of months. Can we get a list of those offices and when they will be opening? Can staffing levels and such information also be included?

We are waiting for those offices to be opened in several areas where offices were closed because it is quite difficult for people to access services.

I am not in favour of outsourcing the JobBridge type of work to private companies. The witnesses say that over six years it would cost €338 million and they hope to save €505 million. Is that correlated with the fact that every person employed will be off the register and no longer receiving jobseeker’s allowance? What sort of mechanism will the Department put in place to ensure this sort of skimming does not happen? The witnesses said there will be checks. How transparent will they be? If they give more than 100 people to these companies and 20 are not placed through job activation, how will we know why those people are not being given job placements?

According to a recent report, Ireland has the third highest number of part-time workers or workers seeking extra hours among OECD countries. America is first. What strategy is the Department considering to provide full-time jobs, for five days or 38 or 40 hours a week?