Bertie Ahern
Question:3 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the work of the advisory group in the local employment service chaired by his Department. [2970/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Employment Service.
The advisory group on the local employment service is chaired by my Department but serviced by the Department of Enterprise and Employment. The group's advice is primarily directed to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, but issues arise which are of concern to other Ministers represented on the group, which comprises representatives of the office of the Tánaiste and the Departments of Enterprise and Employment, Finance, Social Welfare, Education, FÁS and ADM Ltd.
The local employment service is being established initially in 14 areas, including the original 12 area partnership companies. It has been established on the basis of recommendations arising from the work of the National Economic and Social Forum. Its objective is to provide a more co-ordinated and client-centered service to the unemployed, especially the long-term unemployed. In doing so, it seeks to deliver a more streamlined response to the needs of the unemployed by statutory agencies operating locally, especially FÁS, the Department of Social Welfare and the vocational education committees, as well as the very important Outreach services for the unemployed provided by community and voluntary organisations, including the ICTU centres for the unemployed. The local employment services is being established on a partnership basis because of the critical importance of the active support of employers in developing an effective placement service. The measures announced in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance will, of course, increase the effectiveness of the service.
The role of the advisory group is to consider problems which may arise in the establishment of the service, especially by ensuring that policy and practice at national level in Government Departments and statutory agencies fully supports active co-operation with, and participation in, the service at local level. The group has also given detailed consideration to the plans for the development of the service in the initial locations. On the basis of this consideration, the group has recommended to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the level of funding to be made available from his Department's Vote.
It is envisaged that the group will continue to monitor the implementation of the service and to advise the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, as necessary, on issues arising from its operation.
How many of the local partnership companies have been set up? Will the Taoiseach confirm whether its staff has been seconded from the Departments of Social Welfare, Education and FÁS? In the areas of Counties Kildare, Clare, Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Dublin's inner city, what is happening with the plans for those partnerships?
Seven plans have been approved to date, Tallaght, Paul Partnership in Limerick, Finglas/Cabra, Dundalk, south-west Kerry, the Northside Partnership and Ballymun. Two further plans, for the Dublin Inner City Partnership and Meitheal Meigheo, have been agreed in principle.
With regard to the unit running the partnerships, has the staff been recruited or been seconded from the agencies I mentioned?
I do not have that information readily available to me at this time. As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department is merely chairing an advisory group on the service. The service is administered by the Department of Enterprise and Employment. Any detailed questions about the level or source of recruitment for the service might be more appropriately addressed to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment.
Nearly two years ago, the National Economic and Social Forum recommended the establishment of local employment services. To date, fourteen have been set up. When that report was produced in June 1994, the forum thought that if local employment services were introduced, long-term unemployment could be brought down to 20,000 by the year 2000. What is the Taoiseach's opinion on that report and the non-implementation of it?
It is hazardous to make early projections about the level of long-term unemployment. It is appropriate to target the local employment services on the areas of greatest need initially, and that is what is being done in this case.
The question I meant to ask was whether it is intended that that report — which recommended the nationwide implementation of the local employment service, with which I agree — will be followed through?
Subject to the availability of funds we will seek to extend the local employment service. However, I cannot say when the service will operate nationwide. It is fair to say that the maximum return from such a service is likely to be obtained by initially concentrating these extra resources on placement in areas of highest unemployment where people who live there will have experienced the greatest degree of resistance to their being employed, partly because of the length of their unemployment record and, unfortunately, partly on grounds of their address.