In May last year, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, announced the long-awaited and long-sought scrapping of the JobBridge scheme. In correspondence with the Minister last September, he said he would announce his proposals for a new replacement scheme for JobBridge just after the Indecon report, which was due last September.

We are now in 2017 and there is no replacement for the bad scheme that was JobBridge. Among his priorities for 2017, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, included the development of a new work experience programme to replace JobBridge. At what stage is that process and when will we see the long-anticipated and long-called for replacement to the bad scheme that was JobBridge?

The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, has done quite a bit of work on this area. I will ask him to communicate directly with the Deputy to give him the current state of play in regard to a replacement for JobBridge.