Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. There must have been glee among the civil servants when the tally was done and it was found that the number of whole-time equivalent staff stood at 179.98, given that the ceiling is set at 181. The real issue here is the JobBridge scheme. Across the economy there is a sense that the JobBridge scheme has been abused, though I do not suggest that this applies to the Taoiseach's Department. It is felt that real jobs have been taken by JobBridge interns who, in turn, will not have a chance to get the job at the end of a nine- or 12-month stint. Some schools have applied for special needs assistants through the JobBridge scheme.

Does the Taoiseach accept that where vacancies arise they should be filled as real jobs? This applies across the board but particularly in the public service. JobBridge should not be abused to fill vacancies. Have the pathways to work of the eight JobBridge interns hosted by the Department been evaluated? I do not doubt that it can be a fruitful and beneficial experience to work as an intern at the Department of the Taoiseach, but I would also like to think it could lead to employment prospects in both the public and private sectors. Does the Taoiseach have figures relating to the pathways to work of JobBridge interns across Government Departments and the Civil Service? How have these interns developed in terms of employment opportunities?

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