Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide work experience for 1,000 graduates to gain work experience in Departments as outlined in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37022/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government introduced last year the Work Placement Programme (WPP) to provide valuable work experience to graduates and non-graduates who are unemployed. The WPP applies to all sectors of the economy, including the Civil and Public Service. The aim of the programme is to keep the unemployed close to the labour market and to provide them with relevant work experience that will assist them in their search for employment.

In line with the Government's commitment under the Renewed Programme for Government, which provides for the taking on of 1,000 graduates across the Public Service in order to provide them with work experience, in July of this year the Department of Finance wrote to all Personnel Officers in Government Departments encouraging them and their respective agencies to avail of the WPP as a vehicle to facilitate this commitment.

To date 113 Public Sector providers have been approved to provide places under the WPP and it is envisaged that this number will increase significantly over the coming months.