Tánaiste Joan Burton has said she does not think that an advertisement for cleaning work in a school is the best use of the JobBridge scheme as it has to be a developmental opportunity.
She was responding to concerns expressed by IMPACT that some positions advertised under the scheme are effectively replacing Special Needs Assistants.
Ms Burton said they have a monitoring group in the department and unions talk to them about their concerns and if they have any concerns they would be happy to talk to them.
She said the scheme has a role, adding that her concern is to enable as many people as possible to get into employment.
Ms Burton also said that schools are governed by their boards and it is a matter for each individual school how they would decide how they want to use JobBridge.
She added that around 33,000 people have taken part in JobBridge.
She said it is a voluntary scheme and for a lot of people its a positive experience.
New data shows schools are turning to the scheme for unemployed people to fill roles they say should be provided through State funding.
The latest figures from the Department of Social Protection, which runs JobBridge, show that 182 people have taken up positions in the education sector over the past month.
That is 18% of all JobBridge placements for the period.
A further 110 positions are currently being advertised, with 43 schools advertising for 56 Special Needs Assistants (SNA).
All of these schools are for primary education, excluding one.
The advertisements say that successful applicants will gain experience in the "safe supervision of children aged 4-9", in "developing children's literacy numeracy and social skills", "working directly with children with special ed needs", "managing challenging behaviour", "recognising different forms of epilepsy", "feeding children at risk" and "attending to the personal hygiene needs of children".
One ad for a position in a school that caters exclusively for children with disabilities states the applicant will be working with children who may present with complex needs.
For all these positions, the ads state that no experience is necessary.
Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan has said she will be examining the situation to see on what basis schools are hiring people through the JobBridge scheme.
She said the Government could not tell schools that they should not hire in this way, and she said it was a matter for individual schools to make these decisions.
The minister said she had not yet had an opportunity to see exactly why schools are using the JobBridge scheme.
The scheme was designed to get people into the work place and to give people opportunities, she said, saying it was monitored by the Department of Social Protection.
However, she said the Government did not want job displacement.
Meanwhile, the trade union IMPACT has called for the effective monitoring of JobBridge with trade union involvement.
The union's Deputy General Secretary Kevin Callinan has said IMPACT is very worried about the risk that JobBridge could be displacing workers.
He said with regard to special needs assistants that would be a concern.
There are more than 10,000 SNAs currently working in the country, of which 6,000 are members of IMPACT.
Three schools are currently looking for four teachers under JobBridge.
This is despite a directive from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation to members not to participate in the scheme.
Other teacher unions have a similar position.
School principals who have advertised positions in their schools under JobBridge have told RTÉ News they have very mixed feelings about participating.
Speaking anonymously to RTÉ News, one principal said that such jobs should be paid for, but she went on to say "any extra help that I can get I will gladly take it".
Several of the principals also pointed to the huge personal benefits that some people can gain from such placements.
These school principals blame large class sizes and a difficulty in getting SNAs for their participation in the JobBridge scheme.
Until this year, schools were allowed to advertise and fill JobBridge positions for classroom assistants.
There were 188 such positions filled in schools last year.
But following representations from the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Social Protection has discontinued that category this year.
In a statement on its website, it said internships are supposed to provide real world experience related to real careers.
It said that since there is no such position as "classroom assistant" in Irish schools they cannot "in good faith" allow internships in this category to take place.
The Department of Social Welfare said that of the 837 people who began internships in the education sector between August and December of last year, 100 immediately found employment elsewhere and 58 found jobs with their host organisation.
Responding to the data in a statement, the Department of Education and Skills said ".... the positions advertised currently on the JobBridge website are clearly identified as internships.
"Minister O'Sullivan has stated her commitment to working with the Department of Social Protection to ensure that there is no abuse of the scheme."
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