Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 5

Written Answers. - Employment Support Services.

Ivor Callely

Question:

101 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress she is making to enhance options for older people to avail of employment; the matters which have been considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22600/01]

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

The importance of older people in the workforce will grow in coming years with the population under 25 set to fall while the numbers in the older age groups are forecast to rise. Given these trends I believe that it is prudent to look at ways of encouraging older people, embracing retired persons and women in the home, who wish to do so, to return to the workforce, as well as assisting older unemployed in their transition to employment.

Government policy aimed at reducing the overall tax burden on labour, the reform of the tax system, and the individualisation of the standard rate tax band, all serve to increase the incentive to persons returning to work. This policy will act as an incentive for older people to continue working, for women returners and older unemployed to seek and take up a job and for retired persons to return to the workforce, especially those who may wish to work part time to supplement their income.

As part of further initiatives in this area, I am considering a number of matters in the context of both short-term and long-term agendas for action. The type of areas under current consideration are those which focus on initiatives that promote opportunities, match people with vacancies and address the twin issues of training and retraining. FÁS has a role to play here and I will ask it to examine the further steps that can be taken to afford older persons appropriate opportunities to take up suitable vacancies, and in exploring possibilities to hold discussions with employer organisations about those issues. Longer-term issues in the area of pensions, taxation and benefits, and their interaction and impact on the decisions of older workers, will also be examined.