716 interns work for free in public sector in last two years

MORE than 700 people have worked for no pay across the public sector in the past two years as part of the FÁS work placement programme.

Figures from state training agency, FÁS, show that between June 2009 and June 2011, there were 716 starts recorded on work placement programmes in the public sector.

Under the scheme, the public sector as well as the private sector can apply to offer unpaid work placements for a period of nine months.

As payment is not required as part of the programme, those on the placement can continue to receive social welfare payments, although they are advised to check with the Department of Social Protection that the placement does not adversely affect their social welfare status.

As recently as last April, the Department of Education and Skills advertised seven placements — an Irish translator in the corporate services division, two legal assistants, an IT specialist, two data managers and an accounting technician.

It specified that the normal working hours for the placements were from 9.15am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and from 9.30am to 5.15pm on a Friday. It confirmed that there “is no payment of salary or allowance in respect of the placement”.

According to FÁS data, there have been 716 starts in the past two years across the civil service, the education sector, local authorities, commercial semi- states, non-commercial semi states and the HSE.

Some of the providers of the placements include the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Department of Justice & Law Reform and Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government which offered placements such as arts programme assistants, legal assistants and researchers.

Other bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Equality Authority and the Competition Authority have also offered placements as did Fáilte Ireland, the Marine Institute and the Food Saf- ety Authority of Ireland.

General secretary of the Civil and Public Services Union, Blair Horan, said: “From the anecdotal evidence we have heard, it seems that, nowadays, people are just keen to have some connection to the workplace.”