Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 3

Written Answers - Employment Services.

Pat Carey

Question:

74 Mr. P. Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans, if any, she has to apply a single model right across all the partnership companies in relation to the assimilation of the local employment service under FÁS as a discrete component of a more integrated, dual-stranded national employment service; if she will recommend that it be allowed to continue in areas where the present model is working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25811/99]

Nora Owen

Question:

75 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals, if any, she has for the local employment services which are currently administered by the area partnership companies; the instruction, if any, she has given to partnership companies concerning staff who are employed by the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25948/99]

Michael Bell

Question:

78 Mr. Bell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans, if any, she has to change the status of employment partnerships in relation to the local employment service; the outcome of discussions between her Department, PLANET and ADM Limited regarding the future of the service; her views on whether any changes in staffing or contracts would not be in the best interests of the service which has made a very valuable contribution to local communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26092/99]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 75 and 78 together.

The Government decision of 29 March 1999, which followed a lengthy and wide ranging consultation process, decided to implement new operational arrangements for the management, development and delivery of the national employment service function. These included: the assimilation of the local employment service, LES under FÁS, as a discrete component of a more integrated, dual-stranded national employment service, the other component being the existing FÁS employment service; the establishment of an employment service, advisory committee within FÁS which will have responsibility for advising the FÁS executive on the operation and development of all components of the national employment service function, including the LES; membership of the advisory committee to comprise the following representatives drawn from the main FÁS board: one Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, one Department of Fin ance, one Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, one Department of Education and Science, one IBEC, one ICTU, one worker director and one FÁS executive representative; together with a representative each from INOU, PLANET, the representative body of the partnerships, ADM and the LES co-ordinators.

Deliberations on how best to implement the Government decision in relation to the practical operational arrangements to assimilate the LES into FÁS are continuing in my Department and I will be seeking to ensure that these arrangements will create a more integrated and focused dual stranded national employment service, which will operate in a co-ordinated and complimentary manner. The new service will be able to optimise the resources at its disposal to target and engage with those most in need of assistance. The employment service will continue to be informed by local needs as set out in the partnership plans and appropriate liaison arrangements will need to be put in place to ensure effective consultation with the partnerships in the development of employment service plans at local level.