Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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643. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons on a blind pension are not eligible for the JobBridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37872/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobBridge internships are designed to provide job seekers with high-quality real-workplace experience to enable them to break the cycle where they are unable to progress into employment, even with good practical or academic qualifications, but lacking proven real work experience. Job seekers who are in receipt of a live claim (Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit/One Parent Family Payment/Disability Allowance) or are signing on for credits for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days) are eligible to participate. These eligibility criteria are necessary in order to target scarce exchequer resources to those who are long-term unemployed. It is the Department's view that the blind pension does not form part of the same activation stream as JobBridge and that, consequently, it would not be appropriate to include it as one of the qualifying payments.

I would point out that the Department have other activation measures available to those in receipt of Blind Pension including the Work Placement Programme (WPP). Further information on this programme is available on the Department's website