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

The preference of the Department absolutely is jobs first. The first thing we should try and get for somebody is a regular job as opposed to being on a scheme. A regular job is better paid, has the prospects of promotion and means that one is working and paying tax rather than being on a scheme, which means that the taxpayer has to pick up the bill and which will end. Of course, the preference is for a full-time job of more than 30 hours over a scheme. Absolutely, our policy is a regular, real job first. If somebody cannot get such a job, then he or she may well be suitable for supported employment with a scheme.

What we are doing is a customer satisfaction survey. That is done quarterly. The success rates are also published quarterly. One should bear in mind that success is being in a regular job of more than 30 hours a week, that is, a full-time job, and remaining in that job for more than 13 weeks - none of that stuff about part-time employment or unstable jobs - and we will do an econometric analysis this year.

I would point out though that this is a contract that runs until the end of 2019. We can have any review we like under the sun. The contract stands until the end of 2019 and then there is a two-year run-off period. Obviously, in 2018, this Government or the Government of the day will have to make a decision as to whether it wants to re-tender for a similar contract, not do it at all because unemployment might be extremely low by then or have a different type of contract, perhaps trying to activate different groups of people.

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