Vol. 506 No. 5
27 Mr. Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide a breakdown on the type of jobs people are entering into through the employment action plan; if people are remaining in these jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15858/99]
79 Mr. Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on the scheme whereby people over 25 years and unemployed for more than six months are being interviewed; the number interviewed to date; the number offered jobs or training; the number which have taken up these offers; and the main reasons given by this category of people for not working in view of the many job vacancies which exist in the economy. [15773/99]
92 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on the scheme whereby people over 25 years and unemployed for more than six months are being interviewed; the number interviewed to date; the number offered jobs or training; the number which has taken up these offers; the main reasons given by this category of people for not working in view of the many job vacancies which exist in the economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15870/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 79 and 92 together.
Details of the outcomes of supports under the employment action plan are reproduced in monthly progress reports which are available in the Dáil Library. Monthly report No. 7 provides the details in respect of the outcomes for young unemployed persons referred for action plan supports in the period to end April 1999.
Of the cumulative total of 7,518 young persons referred in the period to end March 1999, the position is that by end April 1999, 60 per cent had left the live register and nearly 70 per cent of these had left for identified positive reasons – to enter employment, a FÁS programme or return to education. Of those people interviewed by FÁS, 60 per cent had left the live register. Of the remainder, approximately 5 per cent were referred to training programmes, 15 per cent continued with active FÁS supports and in the remainder of cases persons had either dropped out of the support process or were not progression-ready. The report shows that over 1,800 young persons were identified as having entered employment.
Full occupational details are available only for those placed directly by FÁS. This shows that 32 per cent of persons were in semi-skilled manual occupations and a further 18 per cent and 17 per cent respectively, in clerical or administrative, and unskilled occupations. An equal proportion of 8 per cent in each case were in skilled manual and catering occupations.
Many of those referred under the action plan have entered employment only in the recent past, so it is early to attempt to assess the durability of their jobs. However, an initial analysis undertaken by FÁS suggests that the level of job retention is high, at least over the first months after entry to employment.
