Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Also, the key aspect of the internship programme is that, unlike in the United Kingdom, to which some references were made, internships in Ireland are voluntary. They are voluntary on the part of the host organisation and on the part of the person who participates. There is no compulsion involved. To be honest, I would not be keen on compulsion given the nature of the internship experience. It is about somebody going into an organisation to get work experience and being full of energy and enthusiasm. It is very different from some of the schemes one reads about in other jurisdictions.

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