Written Answers. - Employment Action Plan.
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
13
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the systems under the employment action plan put in place to offer jobs or other employment supports to the under 25s who are six months on the live register and to the over 25s who have been 12 months on the register; and the alternatives, if any, proposed for those for whom no suitable jobs or employment supports can be found.
[15939/98]
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
33
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
if she has considered the position of dependent spouses and children in her proposals for those who are unwilling to take up job offers or training places; and if she will make a statement on this aspect of her policy.
[15940/98]
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:
41
Proinsias De Rossa
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the proposals, if any, she has to improve the employment prospects of people who are long-term unemployed having regard to her speech to the annual conference of the Small Firms Association on 17 June 1998; the ways, if any, in which these proposals differ from those included in the Government's employment action plan submitted to Brussels arising from the EU employment summit; if it is intended to financially penalise those unemployed who do not take up training or work experience offers; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[15781/98]
Brian O'Shea
Question:
61
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the new resources, if any, she will provide to FÁS, the local employment service and other agencies to implement the interventions promised in the employment action plan for the under 25s and for over 25s who are long-term unemployed.
[15913/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 33, 41 and 61 together.
I would refer Deputies to the Government's employment action plan, agreed by the Government last April and subsequently published and laid before this House.
The employment action plan sets out, in detail, the strategy the Government intends to follow in regard to the adoption of a preventative strategy whereby there will be early intervention with all young and adult unemployed, within six and 12 months respectively of their becoming unemployed, with a view to offering them a job or other employability support.
The first phase of the programme will concentrate on the under 25s once they cross the six months live register threshold. The programme will be implemented by means of co-operation between the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, the FÁS employment services, and utilising also the services available from the local employment service. It is intended to introduce this process systematically from September 1998.
The overall financial provision available for the employability pillar of the EU guidelines, under which this particular initiative falls, is just under £900 million.
Already a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation has been agreed between FÁS and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and procedures for operational co-operation will be further developed in a series of protocols between the two bodies.
The further phased extension of this programme to over 25s who have been unemployed for one year will obviously be informed by the experience of operating the first phase of the programme.
The legal basis governing the rights and obligations of unemployed persons seeking work is set out in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs regulations adopted by statutory instrument in May of this year. My Department did participate in the discussions on the regulations which I also understand, were discussed with the appropriate Oireachtas committee.
The programme of systematic engagement with under 25s will offer quality supports to the young people in question. It is a positive and preventative strategy, and is not intended to be punitive. However, if in the course of this process individuals are identified whose circumstances are such that their entitlements fall to be reviewed, for example, because they turn down reasonable offers of a training or employment scheme place, that is also a good outcome of the programme. Any review of such an individual case will be consistent with the regulations and the guidelines I have referred to and will be undertaken by a statutorily independent deciding officer. As a further safeguard in the event of a decision to terminate payment there is an appeals mechanism.
At the end of this process if an individual is deemed not to be eligible for an unempoyment payment — because he or she is not genuinely available for employment or not genuinely seeking employment and has an adult dependant and child dependants, that adult dependant can apply for supplementary welfare allowance for herself or himself and his or her children.
