Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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79. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has had any discussions with the Department of Education and Skills on the use of JobBridge in schools since 20 September 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40053/14]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Similar to the previous question, in the wake of a public outcry against the use of the JobBridge scheme to fill essential posts in schools last September, a number of advertisements were removed from its website and the Minister for Education and Skills undertook to raise the matter with the Minister for Social Protection. What were the content and outworkings of those discussions?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Minister of State has spoken of the overwhelming positive experiences reported by interns on this scheme. It would be helpful to recall that when JobBridge was introduced in 2011, many people were expressing frustration that jobseekers could not take up unpaid work experience opportunities either because they could not afford the expenses associated with going to work or, worse still, because they could lose their entitlement to their jobseeker payment. That was the situation I inherited.

In developing JobBridge, considerable care was taken to set conditions that would limit the ability of employers to exploit the scheme. There is a limit on the duration of internships - six months or nine months - and on the total number of internships that can be offered by an organisation. Permanent posts cannot be filled by successive use of internships and internships cannot be used to fill a position previously filled by a paid employee. The scheme is voluntary and all hosts are voluntary. I stress that all internships are also voluntary and subject to a standard agreement, which sets out the obligations of host organisations, including the provision of training and mentoring. Care was also taken not impose an elitist view of an internship as something that was only suitable as a means of accessing so-called professional careers by young graduates. Many people who are long-term unemployed value the opportunity to prove their ability via a work experience opportunity in occupations that are not the traditional reserve of internships.

I share the concerns recently expressed regarding the use of JobBridge by schools. I asked officials in the Department to remove some positions from the JobBridge website for this reason. Officials were also asked to undertake a review, together with their colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills, of the use of JobBridge by schools. I understand that this review is close to completion and that new guidelines will shortly issue to schools setting out clearly what is, and is not, acceptable use of the JobBridge scheme.

We have made similar agreements with a host of other sectors successfully.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I accept that when there was an outcry, the Department acted and addressed the issues relating to the website but a perusal of the website since then reveals that three advertisements have been placed for teachers, two for caretakers-janitors and 29 for special needs assistants, SNAs. This practice has, therefore, not been suspended, as the Minister has tried to present. There continues to be abuse in the filling of jobs, which should be filled by full-time or part-time employees, in particular, teachers who have achieved a qualification. Schools, despite the opposition of the teachers' unions are using JobBridge to fill vacant teaching positions, which is contrary to the Minister's opening statement that they should not use JobBridge to fill a position previously filled by a paid employee . The scheme should be used to fill different positions. Why are these positions still being advertised, despite the Department indicating to the public that this practice had been suspended?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As the Deputy probably heard during the budget announcement, next year 1,800 people will be recruited into schools, including teachers, resource teachers and SNAs.

In terms of Ireland's economic recovery, it is a real pleasure to be able to announce such widescale recruitment in 2015. That is very positive.

The reality - the Deputy does not appear to appreciate this - is that a person who became unemployed for, say, six months or more or a young graduate coming out of college at the height of the recession often found that employment was closed to them because no firms were recruiting. JobBridge was a response to the situation whereby people wanted to undertake voluntary work to obtain vital experience but under social welfare rules were barred from doing so.

In regard to schools, school boards are independent in terms of how they manage their affairs. I understand that a number of schools have taken on one or two interns who, in addition to the ongoing work of the school undertaken by teachers, have taken on additional work in IT, library and specific specialist areas. Such positions are popular. Many of the people who took up those positions have gone on to obtain further employment, which previously they could not break into because they had no experience. That is the essential point.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister may not be aware that most teachers who qualify have experience. It is an abuse of those teachers who are qualified to expect them to participate in JobBridge. I will give an example. I have been contacted by a constituent who despite having an under-graduate degree and several years classroom experience, which she obtained abroad, took up an aid position under JobBridge. While initially she was thrown in at the deep end to work with very vulnerable children without having had an opportunity to shadow another SNA, she later became a general dogsbody. In her view, she gained nothing from the experience. I do not believe that is appropriate.

Is the Minister concerned that if the Government proceeds with the 1% cut in capitation grants to schools, this will give rise to an increased use of the JobBridge scheme to fill caretaker and janitor positions?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There is in place a monthly reporting format which allows hosts and interns to cross-check on their mutual experiences. I suggest that the Deputy's constituent - I would be disappointed if she does not do this - who appears to be highly qualified, contacts the Department of Social Protection and provides it with a run-down of her experience, including the name of the school concerned. Often people starting off in teaching here perhaps on return to this country find it hard to obtain teaching hours. I assume that was the problem for the Deputy's constituent. I am sorry the Deputy's constituent did not contact the Department during the course of the experience. To date, the Department has carried out more than 8,000 inspections of JobBridge, which is probably the highest rate of inspections by any public body of a scheme.

It must be remembered that a school is strictly limited in the number of JobBridge interns it can employ, as are all employments. The number of interns permitted is based strictly on the number of school staff.