David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I suggest to Senator Hayden that she contact her ministerial colleague, the very Minister who is imposing what she is complaining about.

I commend to the House a document published by Sinn Féin today displacing JobBridge. It would be useful to have a debate on such issues. There are significant concerns over many of the labour activation programmes and measures in this State. There is very real concern that the JobBridge scheme itself is beyond repair. It displaces paid work, depresses job creation, facilitates wage avoidance and normalises work for low or no wages. In fact, it ties in with the TASC report published on Monday, which shows we have a problem with precarious employment and underemployment. Many employers are taking advantage of JobBridge to take people on to do what should be paid work. That should not be happening. We propose an alternative model. We should have a debate on all these issues. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the broad issue of labour activation measures. Let us have a constructive debate on what is working and what is not.