Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 5

Written Answers. - EU Employment Policies.

John Browne

Question:

41 Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the plans, if any, he has to place unemployment at the top of the European agenda during Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10678/96]

Mary O'Rourke

Question:

110 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the aims and objectives, if any, he has set in relation to employment and unemployment during Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the EU. [13913/96]

Mary O'Rourke

Question:

111 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the aims and objectives, if any, he has in relation to specific measures to tackle long-term unemployment during Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the EU. [13915/96]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 110 and 111 together.

The central policy consideration of this Government is the need to create employment and provide opportunities for those seeking work. At national level a wide range of initiatives have been implemented to encourage the recruitment of additional workers and create the environment within which this can most effectively happen. I draw the Deputy's attention to my recently launched Growing and Sharing Our Employment strategy paper which has two clear overall objectives i.e.: to set a policy framework to increase employment and the employment intensity of growth; and to bring back into the mainstream of the labour market those currently excluded. Also, the last budget focused particularly on the long-term unemployed and those who are most marginalised on the labour market.

Severe unemployment problems are also affecting other member states of the European Union and these are informing the deliberations of all Council of Ministers meetings. The Irish Presidency in the latter half of this year will ensure that political concern at European level continues to focus on the central problem of unemployment and that all policies are informed by the need to create work for those currently unemployed.

The Irish Presidency will put particular emphasis on ensuring that the strategy decided at the European Council in Essen in December 1994 is followed through with determination. This focuses on ensuring that there is increased investment in vocational training, on improving the employment intensiveness of growth, on the reduction of non-wage labour costs, on greater effectiveness of labour market policies and on the implementation of specific measures to help groups particularly affected by unemployment. In this respect we will be working to ensure that the single report on employment to the Dublin summit in December, which is to be worked out jointly by the Social Affairs Council, ECOFIN and the European Commission, will focus on long-term unemployment, youth employment and equal opportunities for men and women.

The European Pact of Confidence on Employment recently proposed by Commission President Santer has further concentrated attention on the importance of the issue of employment. This seeks the active involvement of Governments and the social partners in agreeing policy initiatives at European level which will further facilitate higher employment growth levels in member states. The Irish Presidency will support positive developments in this context, and these will be informed by the convergence criteria which have been established for membership of the European Monetary Union.

There is general acceptance that, given the scale of the problem of unemployment and the urgency of effective policies to address it, the intergovernmental conference should also consider this issue. Ireland has always insisted, and with considerable success, that the European Council should seriously focus on employment and support policy proposals to effectively address this central problem. In this vein, the Irish Presidency will also be actively involved in the intergovernmental conference in exploring the scope for constructive treaty amendments so as to improve the effectiveness of the employment policies of the European Union and their impact — in particular on those member states, such as Ireland, which have higher than average levels of unemployment.