Mary Coughlan
Question:11 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will make it policy to require the IDA to work with the employees of a company which is in jeopardy in order that they can reskill. [6200/97]
Written Answers. - Skills Training.
As a matter of policy, the IDA already works closely with companies in jeopardy or at a high risk of job losses or closure with a view to assisting the company to develop a long-term viable business plan. I am advised, however, that in almost all cases companies get into difficulty because of changing market conditions and not because of employee skill problems.
FÁS has a range of programmes and services available to help companies with their training needs, the main instrument being the Training Support Scheme. This scheme is designed to increase company competitiveness, quality and productivity through upskilling from operatives to management level.
Where a company is forced to close, it is the agreed responsibility of FÁS to assist employees with training and retraining, identification of job opportunities, job skills requirements and training scheme opportunities. This is most useful in cases where employees' skills are no longer appropriate to new incoming industries. In general, the companies with the least risk of job losses or closure tend to be those where the Irish plant has most responsibility for its own future, acting as a centre of excellence for particular products, processes or markets within the overall corporation. This is why IDA Ireland's strategy for overseas companies already operating in Ireland focuses on each company achieving the maximum embeddedness in the Irish economy.
My Department works closely with the IDA, and with the other agencies, to ensure that, in so far as it is possible, potential future problems are foreseen and early preventative or remedial action is identified and discussed with the company.