Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

People in long-termed unemployment, who are identified as being more than one year out of work, are the most difficult to place in employment. The reduction in the rate of long-term unemployment - although still too high, it is falling - is an indication of the Department's success in this regard.

In regard to the numbers going on from JobBridge to secure further employment, the figure of 61% was not identified by my Department but by Indecon, a very well regarded Irish and international economic consultancy, in an independent report. That placement rate is among the best in Europe. To clarify, JobBridge is not an apprenticeship scheme. Apprenticeship is a specific programme of learning, training and education, which is delivered partly on the job and partly in an educational setting. JobBridge, on the other hand, is a work experience programme. Unfortunately, as a result of the condition in which Fianna Fáil in government left this country, we had a situation where people coming out of college with very good qualifications had no prospect of employment.

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