Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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519. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason a recipient of a widow's pension would be excluded from taking part in the JobBridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13532/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme has made significant progress since it came into operation on the 1st July 2011. As at 13th March 2014, 26,874 internship placements have commenced to date with 6,602 participants currently undertaking internships and over 1,908 internship posts available on the JobBridge website

Independent research indicates that over 60% of interns progress into paid employment within five months of completing their internship. These progression outcomes are exceptionally positive and compare very favourably with European averages in this area.

Participation on JobBridge requires an applicant to have a live qualifying claim in their own right and to have accumulated three months (78 days) in the previous six months on an eligible claim (Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, One Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, or signing for credits.)

The eligibility criteria for the JobBridge scheme is based on the overall objective of labour market policy in ensuring a pathway to appropriate employment, training and education opportunities, in particular, for those on the Live Register. Accordingly, JobBridge targets scarce exchequer resources in a balanced and effective way to meet the needs of unemployed individuals rather than those in receipt of pension payments.