Vol. 509 No. 6
118 Mr. Gregory asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the report Review of the Whole Time Jobs Initiative (details supplied) was presented to her Department; the reason for the delay in announcing its recommendations; when they will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21625/99]
Deloitte & Touche consultants, were commissioned by the Department in April 1999 to undertake a review of the Job Initiative programme with a view to evaluating the programme's effectiveness against its objectives on reaching the end of the first phase of its operation. A final draft of their report has been provided recently to my Department by the consultants and their recommendations are now being evaluated. I expect this process to be completed at an early stage and I will then be consulting with the social partners.
I am conscious of the need to reach early conclusions in the context of removing current uncertainty for participants and managing agents over the future operation of the programme.
