asked the Minister for Labour the purpose of the Social Guarantees Advisory Board; its membership and the bodies which are represented on it; the details of all reports and recommendations issued by it to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Social Guarantees Advisory Board.
168.
The social guarantee arose out of an EC resolution approved in 1983 entitled "Vocational Training in the Community in the 1980's". Among the issues covered in this resolution was the question of guaranteeing access for unemployed school leavers to full-time programmes of basic training and work experience.
The Minister for Labour assigned responsibility to the Youth Employment Agency for co-ordination of the implementation of the guarantee commitment and jointly with the Minister for Education set up the Social Guarantee Advisory Board to advise the Youth Employment Agency in relation to how the Social Guarantee should be provided; monitoring and reviewing the Social Guarantee commitment; the extent and nature of the provision required for specific groups, both in manpower and education-based programmes; the level of allowances for participants in youth training programmes.
The board consists of twenty members (including the chairperson) as follows: seven nominated by the Minister for Labour, representative of Department of Labour, (2) (including the Chairperson); National Manpower Service, (1); Youth Employment Agency, (1) AnCO, (2); CERT, (1).
Seven nominated by the Minister for Education, representative of Department of Education, (2); Irish Vocational Education Association, (2); Association of Comprehensive and Community Schools, (1); Joint Managerial Board for Secondary Schools, (1); Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, (1);
Six nominated jointly by both the Ministers, representative of Employer bodies, (2); Irish Congress of Trade Unions, (2); National Youth Council of Ireland, (2).
The board itself do not issue reports. During the period since their first meeting on 5 March 1986 they have considered various broad issues relating to the guarantee and gave advice during the drafting of the Youth Employment Agency's annual reports to me on the implementation of the guarantee.
The Board also advised the Youth Employment Agency on the appropriate level of allowances to be paid to young persons on programmes in the manpower and education areas.
The future of the Board will be looked at in the context of the establishment of FÁS and whatever strategy may emerge from the discussions taking place between the Minister for Education and myself, to which I referred last week, to improve the vocational preparation and training available to early school leavers.