asked the Minister for Labour if he is satisfied that recent measures to shorten AnCO courses with a consequent increase in the number of trained persons becoming available for employment will not have the effect of flooding particular labour markets thereby causing disappointment to many young trainees; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - AnCO Programmes.
8.
At my direction AnCO are making arrangements to increase the number of trainees they will cater for in 1973. About 7,000, including apprentices, will be trained in 1975 as against 4,500 in 1974. The funds available to AnCO in 1975 for retraining are expected to amount to £9.0 million against £4.6 million in the nine months to December, 1974. As part of the measures to increase the intake of trainees certain courses have been shortened in duration.
In my view industrial training is a valuable instrument of manpower policy which should be used as intensively as possible in times of high unemployment. The aim is to give the workers concerned additional skills which will enable them to benefit from the employment opportunities arising when the economy starts to recover from the recession. Even if expansion of training leads to some short-term disimprovement in the placement of trainees in employment, the policy is justified by the longer term benefits for the workers trained and for the economy generally.
Would the Minister impress upon his colleague, the Minister for Industry and Commerce, that many of these trainees could be taken up in employment if the Minister for Industry and Commerce utilised the provisions of the anti-dumping Act and prevented the wholesale dumping of textiles and other commodities?
That is a separate matter.
As the Deputy is aware, that matter has had the constant attention of the Minister for Industry and Commerce. As the Deputy is also aware, there are certain international obligations which were entered into both by his Government and this Government.
There is no international law which prevents this company from using the country as a wholesale dumping ground. Other countries are presumably bound——
The Deputy is now imparting information, not seeking it.
——by whatever regulations they have and they are taking the measures I am now advocating.
Appreciating the need for training and retraining, is the Minister concerned at this stage about the opportunities that will be available for apprentices at the end of these AnCO courses?
The Deputy can be absolutely satisfied that this situation, in which we have growing unemployment, continues to be our concern and we will continue in our general budgetary policy to correct the situation. This relates to questions previously asked in the House and which no doubt will be asked again. As the Deputy knows, a great deal of our present malaise in the economy is caused by factors beyond our control. This does not minimise the hardships involved for those who suffer unemployment, but this hardship on their part is shared by many thousands throughout every country of the European Community. The Deputy was anxious to have information on this. It does not get away from the fact that in general our policy continues to maintain training at the highest pitch possible, to train as many as possible and our investment in this area, as I indicated already, is the highest ever. I think this is the correct policy even if certain people, because of the recession, do not immediately find jobs.
While I accept that situation entirely and also support the Minister's efforts at EEC level to get high priority treatment for the unemployment situation here——
Ask a question, Deputy, please.
Obviously we will have a number of apprentices and a number of trained people who in the short term will find it very difficult to get employment. Could the Minister not ask his colleagues to provide within their departments temporary employment on valuable projects that can be done at the present time and which the country needs?
The Deputy is extending this question into another area.
The Government have been reviewing in recent weeks all manner of short term injections into our economy, and this certainly has a high priority in our attention at the present time.
Question No. 9.
Can we be hopeful about the situation?
9.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of persons being retrained by AnCO in Dublin at present in each of the various skills for which training is given.
The total number of adult persons being retrained by AnCO in Dublin at present is 455. In addition, AnCO are training 162 apprentices in the Dublin area.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement detailing the various skills for which adult training is being given. The following is the statement:
|
General engineering for operatives |
76 |
|
Machine tool operating |
20 |
|
Production operative |
16 |
|
Introduction to industry |
18 |
|
Electronic assembly |
58 |
|
Fork truck driving |
8 |
|
Radio/TV servicing |
10 |
|
Builders plant operators |
5 |
|
Office equipment servicing |
10 |
|
Manual arc and gas welding |
7 |
|
Welding/fabrication |
30 |
|
Heavy goods vehicle driving |
4 |
|
Garage operatives |
3 |
|
Panel beating |
12 |
|
Partsmen (motor trade) |
10 |
|
General construction for operatives |
9 |
|
Sewing machine operating |
10 |
|
Sewing machine servicing |
10 |
|
Clerical courses |
72 |
|
Junior management |
35 |
|
Hairdressing |
8 |
|
Special |
6 |
|
Printing |
10 |
|
Shop assistants |
8 |
|
TOTAL |
455 |
10.
asked the Minister for Labour the amount of EEC funds available this year to aid the AnCO programmes; and whether any increase is expected.
The amount of assistance from the European Social Fund applied for by AnCO in respect of its 1975 operations was just over £5 million. The bulk of the AnCO application, involving £4.2 million was recommended for approval in full by the advisory committee of the fund at its March meeting. It is understood that it has now been approved by the European Commission, though formal notification is awaited.
The remainder of the AnCO 1975 application will be considered by the fund committee at its June meeting and should be decided by the Commission shortly afterwards. It is not possible to say at this stage what the Commission's decision will be.
The total amount applied for by AnCO in respect of 1975 is more than twice as much as the amount approved for 1974 and three times that approved for 1973.
Two further grants from EEC sources have been approved towards the costs of pilot schemes being undertaken by AnCO, one from the social fund amounting to £12,510, of which £6,255 has been paid in 1975, and the second from the EEC Directorate for Regional Affairs for £10,000, of which £4,000 has been paid.
Could the Minister say, in respect of the applications for the 1975 allocation, if that will be spent in the same way as for the 1974 allocation, which I understand was used in toto for vocational training? Is it proposed to use the 1975 allocation, if received, for the same purpose or has any new aspect been brought into consideration?
Our main objective has been to absorb as many of the newly unemployed as possible in training programmes, that is attempting to use the training resources available to us from the social fund to mop up as many of our unemployed as possible. This has been our general approach.
Is there a suggested change in the allocation of the social fund? Is there a fear that this change may be to our disadvantage?
No. It is another question. What the Deputy probably has in mind is that at our council meeting later this month I will be attempting to see how funds can be diverted towards the young unemployed, those unemployed who had no previous work experience and whom the regulation of the fund would presently debar from participating in any training programme. We are seeing how we can remove this regulation. I hope to get the co-operation of my colleagues at our June 17th meeting to see if this can be done.
Is it true to say that money over and above the allocation can be got from the fund?
That is a separate question.
Not really.
It is. The Chair decides so. The question refers to the amount of the fund and any increase that might likely arise.
I accept your ruling. I will put down a separate question because it is a matter of national importance.
What amount of this fund will be detailed towards the retraining of the car workers who have recently been affected by redundancy?
They will have the same proportion of participation in this fund as any other group of unemployed workers.
Would special consideration not be given to the car workers?
As I said our priority has been help towards the newly unemployed. They will come under that category.
Are they not in a special category?
I do not know of any more special category than immediate treatment to their case. They are the newly unemployed.
Surely the Minister will agree that the car workers have been more seriously affected than anybody else.
That is a separate question.
Any worker who is unemployed is affected in some way.
They are particularly affected because of the savage increase in the cost of petrol last year.