Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2017
130. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance his plans to conduct an investigation into unpaid work here by activity, gender, income and age; and if so, if it will estimate the value in order to begin moving away from conventional understanding of labour and to better identify barriers to entering the workforce. [43646/17]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office (CSO), which is independent, is responsible for collection and publication of labour market data. My Department does not have any plans to conduct an investigation into unpaid work. However, broader labour market measures and studies are used by my Department to gain a deeper understanding of the potential labour supply and the barriers to employment.
The CSO publishes comprehensive labour market data in its Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). This includes information on people’s self-assessed employment and unemployment status and measures of the potential labour supply. The unemployment rate was 6.4% in the second quarter of 2017. The QNHS assessments of potential labour supply ranged from 6.9% to 13.3% depending on the broader groups of people included (i.e. unemployed persons, discouraged workers, passive jobseekers, part-time underemployed persons).
A recent Central Bank staff paper set out a proposed non-employment index that includes the potential additional labour supply, factoring in how likely each group is to transition to employment. This paper estimated that potential labour supply in quarter 4 2016 ranged from 7.9% to 9.4% when part-time underemployed persons are included.
There are a range of initiatives across Government which address employment, including issues around barriers to entering the workforce. These include the Action Plan for Jobs, Pathways to Work, the National Skills Strategy, the re-organisation of the further education and training sector and the Housing Assistance Payment. These various initiatives are the responsibility of my colleagues the Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.
The Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work Strategy set out the strategic framework to create jobs, increase employment and reduce unemployment. Reforms to date include the establishment of ‘one-stop shop’ Intreo centres; the transformation of jobseeker services through Intreo; new activation, income and employment supports; and reforms to provide lone parents with enhanced access to education, training, and employment support services.
There has also been a re-organisation of the further education and training sector with the result that Education and Training Boards are now better positioned to respond to individual and national skill needs across a wide range of areas and of the local and regional economy. The National Skills Strategy 2025 provides a framework to ensure the development of a well-educated, well-skilled and adaptable labour force, and supports an inclusive approach to participation in education, training and the labour market across all groups and skill levels.
Recent reforms – particularly the introduction of the Back to Work Family Dividend and the roll-out of the Housing assistance Payment scheme – have addressed concerns about work incentives for families with children.
Considerable progress has been made in implementing reforms to encourage employment, remove barriers to entering the labour market and to remove inactivity traps. The Government will continue to put in place the framework conditions for continued employment growth.
