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

I put a question to the Taoiseach earlier relating to evaluations. He said that if he has any information he will bring it to me. I am surprised that there is no evaluation dimension built in as part of an application to the public service and Departments in particular under the JobBridge scheme. In other words, given that 330 interns have gone through the various Departments, I am surprised no one is following up, if only for research purposes and to validate whether the scheme is of value.

I imagine anyone working in the Department of the Taoiseach would find it a valuable experience. However, what interests most people is the degree to which the scheme actually enables and facilitates a person to enhance his capacity to get a job subsequently. It would be worthwhile if someone could evaluate what has happened to the 330 people.

I asked the Taoiseach about the wider dimension to JobBridge and the degree to which it has been abused by quite a number of companies. I have come across a case in which the third JobBridge applicant is now going into the same position; in other words there has been a JobBridge person there before and another before him in turn. Clearly a job is being filled and the scheme is being abused.

I understand the Government has taken a number of companies off the JobBridge list because they have abused it. Deputy O'Dea has been pushing the matter but for some reason the Government is refusing to publish the list of companies that have been taken off the JobBridge scheme because of abusing it. It would help people's confidence in the initiative if there was full transparency in terms of how the scheme is operating and, in that context, companies that, the Department is satisfied, have abused the scheme. The list should be published. It would act as a deterrent to others from abusing the scheme as well.

I have no doubt that the participants in the Department of the Taoiseach have enjoyed it and benefitted from it but we would like to know more about others who did not have the chance or the good fortune to have been employed as an intern in the Taoiseach's office or other offices. They may have been in the private sector and did not enjoy the same experience. As a first step, will the Taoiseach agree to or consider the idea of publishing the companies that have been taken off the JobBridge list or which have been prevented from participating in future because of their abuse of the scheme?

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