Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has long been established that a catch-22 for people seeking to enter the labour force is that they do not have experience. The purpose of the JobBridge programme is to bridge that gap. The Department of Social Protection, to which the Deputy should, perhaps, direct his questions, has very clear requirements in respect of the training provided and the value of the experience gained. That is what we have done. As made clear in the answer, nearly 50% of interns went directly from a JobBridge scheme placement into employment; therefore, the experience gained did help them to find employment. Obviously, the others have moved on and no doubt many of them have found work. The public service recruitment process remains open and transparent, as I outlined. I thought the Deputy would see it as valid, to allow all qualified persons to compete for posts in the public service.

As the Deputy knows, there have not been many opportunities for recruitment in the public service but now, as a result of the progress we are making elsewhere in the economy, we are in a position to recruit, particularly in areas on the front line, such as health and education, which is welcome. I strongly defend the value of work experience and training for any worker seeking to progress their career.

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