Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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150. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way her Department defines job displacement in relation to JobBridge. [51320/13]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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152. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to the waiving of the six month cooling-off period, allowing an employer to take on another intern immediately if the previous intern was employed by the host organisation or another company, if the internship should be fully completed, that is a full six/nine month duration for this to take place; if an intern is hired several months after their internship has ended but prior to the six month cooling-off period if the original host organisation take on another intern, or must the intern be hired within a certain timeframe for the waiving of the cooling-off period. [51322/13]

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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163. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current number of JobBridge placements; the number there have been since the scheme was introduced on a county basis in tabular form; and the number of applicants who have secured permanent employment in their sponsor companies. [51419/13]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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187. To ask the Minister for Social Protection who is the person responsible for ensuring that JobBridge participants are not taken advantage of and that participants are employed on their stated projects; the avenue available to those who have taken up a JobBridge placement and who have found they are not gaining the experience promised to them; the total number of persons currently in employment on a JobBridge placement; the number of JobBridge placements that are employed in the public sector where a moratorium on employment exists and where no full time employment can be offered; the number of JobBridge participants that have gained full time employment from their employer following their placement; the number of JobBridge placements which have failed prior to completion of the nine month period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51852/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150, 152, 163 and 187 together.

As at 28^th November, 2013, there had been 23,845 internships since JobBridge came into operation, of which 6,543 individuals are currently on internships. The Table below contains a breakdown by County of internships completed and internships currently undertaken. The independent evaluation of JobBridge conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants found that 61% of participants progressed into paid employment. The latest data from the Department indicate that 58% of these progress into employment with their host organisation and 42% do so with another company.

In the context of JobBridge, displacement can arise where the internship opportunity being advertised is replacing an existing job vacancy or where a company terminates the employment of a staff member and then seeks to take on an intern to cover the duties previously undertaken by that staff member. The recent evaluation report found low levels of displacement and deadweight.

Where an intern moves directly into employment upon immediately finishing a JobBridge internship the cooling-off period is waived and the host organisation can re-advertise in the same area of activity. This applies whether the intern finishes early or completes the full term of the internship. In all other cases, the six-month cooling-off period applies from the point in time when the internship finishes, even if it finishes before the full term. Organisations who release an intern but subsequently recruit that intern a number of months later are still subject to this 6 month rule.

A network of officials in the JobBridge team, National Contact Centre and local Divisions are engaged in monitoring compliance with JobBridge criteria. The Department has conducted over 3,800 on-site monitoring visits to ensure scheme compliance. JobBridge is a voluntary scheme. Any intern who finds that the internship does not meet their needs is free to leave the internship and may have up to a maximum of 3 internships for a maximum cumulative period of 18 months. Interns may also report dissatisfaction with, or abuse of, the scheme or a particular internship directly to the JobBridge team via the online form on the “contact us” section of the JobBridge website.

Of the 23,845 placements to-date, 5,192 or 22% of these placements have been in the public sector. 1,557 of these placements are currently active with 3,635 placements completed.

The Indecon evaluation also found that there is a very high rate of employment among participants who completed their internships in the public sector with 41% of these interns progressing into paid employment.

In the overall context, 53% of placements are completed in full while 47% of placements are completed early. However, it is important to highlight that 63% of jobseekers leave their placement early to take up immediate employment, in many cases with their host organisation.

Table 1. Breakdown of Internships By County

Data as at 28/11/13