Michael Ring
Question:83 Mr. Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the portion of the FÁS budget expended on the overseas programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28623/01]
Other Questions. - FÁS Overseas Programme.
Charles Flanagan
Question:121 Mr. Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will review the policy of FÁS with reference to its overseas campaign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28620/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 121 together.
FÁS has informed me that, since commencing in 2000, a total of £5.5 million was spent on the Jobs Ireland overseas recruitment programme, representing less than 1% of the annual FÁS budget of £650 million. FÁS has also advised that, in early spring of this year, it conducted a review, together with Irish employers, of its non-EU recruitment programme and decided in light of certain economic signals to suspend the campaign from April. There are no plans to actively recruit individuals from outside the EU-European Economic Area.
FÁS continues to act as the Irish partner in the EURES network of employment services established by the EU-EEA to facilitate free movement of workers. EURES assists employers to find workers from EU-EEA member states and assists job seekers to find employment in those states. FÁS has been a partner in the network for more than ten years.
Can I take it from the Minister's reply that, in effect, FÁS has ceased its overseas programme and that it will not engage further in the type of recruitment abroad by way of seminar in non-EU countries? Does she agree that it is important for FÁS as a training and development agency to revert to first principles and deal with the training and up-skilling of unemployed people in Ireland?
I draw the attention of the Minister to two areas where FÁS needs to engage in a pro-active campaign, namely, early school leavers and people with disabilities. These two groups need to be targeted to ensure they can enter mainstream employment in so far as they can.
Does the Minister agree that alongside employment levels of an unprecedented nature having been obtained in recent years, we still have a real and acute problem with long-term unemployed people? What steps will FÁS take as a priority to deal with this issue rather than empire building abroad?
FÁS has ceased the Jobs Ireland campaign, other than campaigns it has in Europe, and has done so for very good reasons. Clearly the economic downturn warranted that approach. I had a meeting with senior executives and the director general of FÁS last week at which they informed me that they still have 80,000 vacancies in Ireland. They are constantly trying to source people for those vacancies for employers and there is a need to bring in workers from abroad.
I agree with Deputy Flanagan that the priority is to help our own people, especially those who do not have skills. Although long-term unemployment has been reduced to 1.2% or fewer than 20,000 people, for as long as that number exists, they must be the priority. The responsibility for training people with disabilities was given recently to FÁS so that it can be mainstreamed. The agency is conscious of that. I recently appointed someone representing that sector to the board of FÁS.
Can I have a breakdown of that figure of 80,000 vacancies? I am very doubtful about it. Given that a number of recruitment agencies are winding down their operations in Ireland because of a lack of demand for their services, will the Minister consider having the overseas budget for FÁS used to assist Irish people who wish to return to Ireland? I hate to say it, but a massive spin has been put on these figures. I doubt there are 80,000 vacancies. Will the Minister give a breakdown of those? Given that 80% of permits granted are to unskilled labourers, who will train them?
The people in question are sought by employers who have specific jobs. It is employers who apply for the permits.
Has the Minister spoken to employers lately?
I have. As I said on an earlier question, since 11 September we have received a weekly average of 1,200 applications for permits, which is an extraordinarily high figure. I do not have a breakdown of the 80,000 vacancies figure with me but I challenged FÁS on it last week and I can obtain the breakdown for the Deputy. I do not know if I can get it on a sectoral basis but I can certainly obtain it on a regional basis.
I would appreciate that very much.
The figure relates to vacancies notified by employers to FÁS offices throughout the country. I will certainly obtain the figure.
Has FÁS given any commitment to people it recruited abroad regarding the employment they took up when they came to Ireland?
The Deputy may have misunderstood what happened. FÁS held jobs fairs in which employers participated and at which prospective employees attended and met employers. Other authorities, such as the Revenue Commissioners, also participated to explain such matters as Irish revenue laws and so on. FÁS did not give commitments in terms of employment. It simply facilitated employers to meet potential employees. Permits were subsequently granted to individuals if they had a job. The contractual arrangement was between the employer and the individual, not between FÁS and the individuals.
I thank the Minister for explaining exactly what happened. I did not misunderstand the position. Am I correct in saying there is a dif ference between what FÁS did in that situation and what it does in the domestic situation?
Yes, in some cases people who came to the fairs may not have found a suitable employer, may have given their CVs to and registered with FÁS which subsequently connected those people with employers, but there was always a connection between the individual and an employer. There was no question of bringing people to Ireland without their having a job and a contract of employment.
I thank the Minister.