Written answers

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Department of Social Protection

National Internship Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Joe HigginsJoe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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551. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering allowing job seekers to gain experience of workplaces without losing their social welfare payments; and if this is being considered, the conditions that will be in place to guard against job displacement or use of cheap labour. [36903/13]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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554. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the options available to a person who has completed a placement on the work placement programme followed by a placement on JobBridge and who has now been 12 months out of the programme; if she will confirm that such persons are entitled to take up empolyment offers on another JobBridge placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36967/13]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if it is intended to alter the JobBridge programme to allow interns to avail of more than two internships in different companies if they have not been successfully employed. [37118/13]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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572. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to relax the condition that a person cannot be employed off a JobBridge internship unless the affirmed position is full-time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37119/13]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 551, 554, 571 and 572 together.

JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, allows job seekers to gain experience of workplaces while receiving their social welfare payment and a €50 per week top up payment. JobBridge internships are monitored by the Department at all stages. All host organisations must comply with rigorous criteria and a monthly compliance monitoring process is in place. One-in-four internships in 2013 have received an on-site monitoring visit.

JobBridge placements are not positions of employment. JobBridge interns are currently permitted to undertake a maximum of two internships, up to a cumulative total of 9 months, whether or not they have participated in the Work Placement Programme (WPP). No minimum or maximum period between internships applies to interns. Interns may not be on a placement with a host organisation with which they have a prior working relationship, including a WPP placement.

On foot of a recommendation in the recent independent evaluation of JobBridge, I am considering options to allow interns to avail of more than two internships. Changes to JobBridge criteria are posted on the JobBridge website (www.jobbridge.ie).

Internships must provide a minimum of 30 hours work experience per week for the intern. This condition is linked to the payment of the €50 top-up and is also designed to ensure that internships provide a real working experience to the intern. Interns taking up paid employment either during or on completion of this internships are subject to the same regulations as all the other jobseekers in receipt of a jobseeker's payment.

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