Robert Molloy
Question:55 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the new measures, if any, under consideration to tackle the problem of long-term unemployment. [2907/97]
Written Answers. - Long-Term Unemployed.
While the labour force survey — ILO basis — of 1995 is encouraging in so far as it shows that the number of persons unemployed for more than one year, which is the general definition of long-term unemployment, fell from 127,600 in 1994 to 102,100 in 1995 and there was also a slight fall in 1996, the number of those long-term unemployed is still at an unacceptable level and I am constantly reviewing existing measures and developing new responses to tackle the problem.
As the Deputy is aware, a key element in the strategy to fight long-term unemployment is the establishment of the local employment service, as recommended by the NESF in its Report No. 4, Ending Long-Term Unemployment. The purpose of this service is to provide a tailor-made response to the needs of targeted long-term unemployed, especially in areas of particular disadvantages. The LES is currently operating in 14 areas, and the Government will shortly announce the extension of the LES to a further four areas. The forthcoming evaluation of LES by Forfás will inform this expansion as well as any necessary strengthening of supports required.
FÁS employment services are also gearing up to become more pro-active in providing guidance to long-term unemployed people and the matching of those people with suitable vacancies. They are also actively co-operating with the Department of Social Welfare by providing guidance and progression, on the full range of labour market opportunities, for all referrals.
Temporary employment measures like the Job Initiative and community employment provide the long-term unemployed with valuable work experience within community projects. This helps break the cycle of unemployment by allowing individuals update and develop existing skills as well as learn new skills which can help individuals compete better for jobs in the labour market.
Certain changes were introduced for CE in 1996 to better target the programme at the long-term unemployed and include the splitting of the programme into the following two distinct options. The part-time integration option is aimed at long-term unemployed people with reasonable prospects of employment and whose prospects of obtaining mainstream employment would be enhanced by participation on the programme and the part-time option is aimed at long-term unemployed people with poor employment prospects. Under this option participants, who have an annual contract of engagement, can have their contract reviewed for up to three years.
There are currently over 40,000 people on CE and FÁS are promoting the programme as a viable progression into employment. It is imperative that the value of experience gained on CE be recognised and accepted by employers. This will require convincing employers that the community workplace provides a real and professional work environment where valuable skills can be developed. As a measure to assist the long-term unemployed to find permanent employment, FÁS will, in 1997, strengthen certain aspects of community employment by, for example, providing training to sponsor committees so that they may be more professional in their role of employers. It will also involve more stringent vetting of projects through evaluating project business plans on a value for money basis; strengthing links with local employers by involving them in the vetting projects and awarding a workplace merit award to community employment projects. This should strengthen the positive perception of local employers that community projects do provide a real work environment and encourage employers to give more favourable consideration to the long-term unemployed and by the provision of a reference to all community employment participants to support their application for jobs in the labour market. The pilot Job Initiative, which I launched last October, at present has 711 people who are working full-time in the social economy at the going rate for the job. The numbers employed under this programme will increase to 1,000 shortly as soon as sponsors in the voluntary-community sectors complete their recruitment plans.
Jobstart, the employment subsidy scheme, has approximately 809 people, who were at least three years unemployed, currently in employment. FÁS is continuing to actively promote this scheme with employers, to encourage them to take on more long-term unemployed people. In addition, approximately 589 people have undertaken the workplace programme, with a view to progressing to a job.
On the preventive side, Youthreach, which caters for early school leavers, is being re-focused with greater efforts to get progression and placement opportunities for these young people. The possibility of increasing the number of foundation places is also being examined particularly in the context of the recent NESF report on early school leavers and youth unemployment and all 18-19 year olds, who cross the six month threshold on the live register, are being referred to FÁS by the Department of Social Welfare for an intensive programme of guidance, counselling and assistance on labour market opportunities.
On the policy side, a strategy group on employment and unemployment, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, will shortly be making a report to Government, which will include further refinements to the extensive measures we have introduced for long-term unemployed people.