Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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138. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review the JobBridge programme to facilitate claimants as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44074/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The JobBridge Scheme was introduced in July 2011 with the aim of providing unemployed people with an opportunity to secure work experience and to prove their competence to prospective employers. Participation on the scheme is wholly voluntary and is open to all jobseekers who meet the qualifying criteria.

The criteria includes the requirement that applicants must have a live claim in their own right for a period of 78 days within the last 6 months in order to ensure that limited exchequer resources are targeted at individuals in danger of falling into longer term unemployment.

It is open to persons in respect of whom an increase in respect of a Qualified Adult is in payment to make an application for a jobseeker payment in their own right, once the underlying conditions are satisfied; namely that they are capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work. They can, of course, subsequently participate in JobBridge, subject to satisfying the standard eligibility criteria.

I would point out, however, that the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of JobBridge to assess its suitability, relevance and effectiveness to date. The outcome of the evaluation will inform any further changes to the scheme.