Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan has said she wants to be sure there is no abuse of the JobBridge scheme.

Ms O’Sullivan said she would engage with Minister for Social Protection Tánaiste Joan Burton to make sure that the principles of the scheme were maintained.

“I certainly want to be sure that there is no abuse in any way of the JobBridge scheme,” she said.

New data has shown teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and school cleaner positions have been advertised on JobBridge.

The scheme was designed not to displace workers but to provide job opportunities, she said.

However, Ms O’Sullivan said the Department of Education could not tell schools that they should not attempt to hire in this way.

“It’s something that I will be examining to see on what basis schools are using JobBridge.”

She said it was monitored by the Department of Social Protection, which had in the past removed some advertised positions because they were not appropriate.

Ms O’Sullivan was speaking at the Department of Education this afternoon where she presented the Seán Lemass Award for Excellence in Enterprise along with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.