Vol. 495 No. 5
70 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of community groups, including a group (details supplied), that the new employment action plan will damage the quality of interventions and the whole thrust of client relationships by introducing the concept of coercion; and if she has modified the original proposals to take account of these concerns. [20711/98]
The employment action plan gives effect to the 1998 EU employment guidelines. The guidelines call for the adoption of a preventative strategy whereby there will be early intervention with all young and adult unemployed, within six and twelve months respectively of their becoming unemployed, with a view to offering them a job or other employability support, i.e. a place in a training or education course, a place on an employment scheme or in some cases referral to the local employment service for intensive mediation.
The Government is meeting this commitment by focusing initially on the under 25s who cross the six-month unemployment threshold. This programme began on 1 September 1998. The programme is being implemented through co-operation between the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, and the FÁS employment services.
The best current estimate is that each month up to 1,600 persons will approach the six months threshold. The programme is not about coercion but about providing quality supports towards placement in a job if the individual is job ready and placement in training, education or other labour market programme if the individual is not job ready. About 7,500 places on FÁS programmes have been ring-fenced to provide such opportunities. The whole purpose of the activation programme is to come up with a suitable response for each individual. The process is modelled generally on the youth progression programme introduced for 18 and 19 year olds in October 1996.
