Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

JobBridge was introduced in 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy, particularly the sharp increase in unemployment. Since then, it has enabled over 19,000 employers, mainly small ones, to provide work experience and job opportunities to over 48,000 jobseekers. Independent research suggests it has helped about 30,000 of these jobseekers to secure paid employment.

Since JobBridge was introduced, labour market conditions have improved significantly, with unemployment down from over 15% to under 8% and the live register figure falling to below 300,000 for the first time since 2008. Given these improvements, I have already announced that I plan to discontinue the scheme with a view to replacing it with a new one better suited to the economy as it is now.

It is important that the design of any new scheme be informed by the best available evidence. That is why I intend to wait for the results a second independent evaluation of JobBridge before finalising the design of any replacement scheme. The evaluation is being undertaken by Indecon International Economic Consultants in association with London Economics. It includes a detailed econometric counterfactual analysis, a cost-benefit evaluation and a large-scale survey of jobseeker and employer opinions. The results of this evaluation will provide insights that are more reliable than the anecdotal opinions or small-sample surveys that have informed much of the debate so far.

I have also asked the Labour Market Council for its views on how a new scheme should be designed. The Labour Market Council includes representatives from the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Ibec, together with some distinguished labour market economics. Indecon is currently finalising its report on JobBridge. The Labour Market Council has met Indecon on a number of occasions to review its work and will submit its own observations on the Indecon report. I expect to receive the final version of the report within the next two weeks and will publish it, together with the Labour Market Council observations and my own proposals, very shortly thereafter.

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