Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been asking questions about the JobBridge scheme since it was initiated and I have yet to hear the Minister admit it has an exploitative aspect. Through its sponsorship of this scheme the State has contributed millions of free hours of labour, exploiting the 25,000 people the Minister mentioned, to companies which often gain an economic advantage over their competitors. The Minister has never owned up to the fact that companies are abusing the system. We have heard the recent furore about Advance Pitstop and other companies that have advertised JobBridge for a nine-month period. It does not take nine months to gain the experience to change an exhaust - no such thing - nor did it ever take that time to learn how to stack shelves.

The JobBridge scheme is a disgrace. It is exploitation of young, unemployed workers in particular, and it should be brought to an end and replaced with a proper internship scheme, as in other countries, which allows those who take part to gain a proper benefit from it.

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