asked the Minister for Labour the action he intends to take following the Council of the European Communities resolution of 19 December 1984 on action to combat long term unemployment.
Written Answers. - Long-Term Unemployment.
661.
As President of the EC Social Affairs Council I was particularly pleased that the Council adopted the Resolution on long term unemployment at its meeting on 19 December 1984. The Resolution was one of the central elements of the Irish presidency in the social affairs area and had the full support of the other member states.
The Resolution advocates a number of measures at national and Community level to tackle long term unemployment with the support of both sides of industry.
As far as initiatives at national level are concerned the Government has already explicitly recognised the need for direct action to assist the long term unemployed in the national economic and social plan, Building on Reality. The plan sets out a number of new initiatives designed to reintegrate the long term unemployed into the active workforce.
These measures include
(1) The social employment scheme which will offer part time work on a half weekly basis for one year to long term unemployed persons. The estimated number of participants will be around 10,000 per annum.
(2) A training and placement "alternance" scheme: this will offer a combination of appropriate formal training with an element of on-the-job work experience in public or private sector firms or organisations. A six month programme will be offered to 2,500 long term unemployed persons per annum.
Pre-retirement category: this will be open to long term unemployed persons over 55 years who may opt to register only once every three months while receiving on a weekly basis the equivalent of their unemployment assistance.
These initiatives are additional to existing manpower schemes administered by the National Manpower Service, AnCO and CERT to help people who are unemployed and which also accord with the broad objectives of the resolution.
I am happy to report that participation by the long term unemployed in these schemes has been very encouraging. The proportion of long term unemployed recruited under the employment incentive scheme has increased from 3 per cent to 13 per cent since the doubling of the weekly subsidy. Their participation in the enterprise allowance scheme is now 32 per cent. I have also asked AnCO to increase substantially its training services for unemployed persons over 25 years of age. This action should help to increase the training prospects for the long term unemployed in the over-25 age category.
I have arranged for officers of my Department to consider what further action can be taken on foot of the resolution. I hope to announce further measures to assist the long term unemployed in the context of the White Paper on Manpower Policy which I will be publishing this year.