asked the Minister for Labour the number of placement officers employed by the National Manpower Service in (a) Dublin and (b) the rest of the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Manpower Service.
32.
The number of placement officers employed by the National Manpower Service in (a) Dublin is eight and (b) in the rest of the country is 20.
Does the Minister consider this number satisfactory?
No, I do not.
Would the Minister give the House some details of what he proposes to do about the problem?
A further ten placement officers are due to take up duty within the next month. Some of these will be appointed to the Dublin office.
How many will be appointed to the Dublin office?
I imagine that the majority will be appointed to the Dublin office. For the information of the Deputy a competition for a further 13 placement officers will take place shortly. I hope that before the end of the year we will have built up to a figure of 60 placement officers.
What proportion of that number will be in the Dublin area?
I do not know at present. I do not know exactly how many of the 60 will be assigned to Dublin but it would be proportionate to the population. There is a large population centred in Dublin, almost one-third of the population of the State, and a large number of young people looking for jobs. Obviously the greater proportion of this number will be applied to the Dublin area. It is important also that all parts of the country should have as good a service as possible.
Why should the Minister expect that the greater portion of the 60 new officers must be placed in Dublin when one-third of population is located in Dublin?
I am afraid that Deputy Lynch is hard of hearing these days on many matters. I would point out to the Deputy that the drift of the question was whether we are appointing enough placement officers. I have explained that before the end of the year we will have quadrupled the number of placement officers. It is fair to say that the largest population centre in the State is Dublin but all around the country there are large centres of population. Cork, as the Deputy knows and a place which is nearest his heart, is also a large centre of population. We will be appointing proportionately in Cork a sufficient number of placement officers. I am also anxious to see that, in line with the Government's general economic policy of providing balanced economic development throughout the country, citizens in all parts of the country will have the benefit of the service.
Is it true to say that the Minister did not mean that the greater proportion of the placement officers would be in Dublin and if he did say it that he said it in error
I am anxious to assist Deputies in elucidating the utmost information. I do not wish that argument to develop at this stage. Deputies Kitt and Haughey are seeking to get in and I am calling Deputy Kitt at this stage.
Mr. Kitt
Does the Minister agree that the balance of eight to 20, without appointing any further placement officers, is a fair proportion with Dublin and the rest of the country? The Minister said eight were employed in Dublin and 20 in the remainder of the country and the first thing that struck me on hearing that statement was that this was a very unfair imbalance. From the statement referred to by the Leader of the Opposition it appears that the balance is going to be in favour of Dublin when the new officers are appointed.
In view of the excellent work this comparatively new service is performing, would the Minister endeavour to arrange that the services which it provides are brought more clearly to the attention of those who can benefit from it, particularly school leavers? I find that, small as the number of placement officers are, they do provide a magnificent service but very few members of the general public are aware of the service that they provide.
I compliment Deputy Haughey on the constructive nature of his question. He can have my assurance that this is a part of the service that I am anxious to see improved. Deputy Haughey is quite correct in saying that it is important that the schools should be brought into closer connection with the placement service. I hope, in company with by colleague, the Minister for Education, to see the career teacher element in our educational system strengthened and a closer connection built up in regard to the placement officers.
33.
asked the Minister for Labour the number of vacancies for placement officers in his Department, the qualifications for these appointments and how the vacancies are filled.
There are at present vacancies for 32 placement officers in my Department. I hope to fill 12 of these vecancies shortly from recommendations made by the Civil Service Commission. A competition for further appointments is at present being arranged by the commission.
The qualifications required for placement officers are: a good education; a background of at least three years' employment experience particularly suitable for placement work; and possess the requisite knowledge and ability and be suitable to discharge the duties of the position.
The vacancies are filled by open competitions which are conducted by the Civil Service Commission and are advertised.
Contrary to Deputy Haughey's experience mine is that the school-leavers sent to the manpower service are not getting any attention because the placement officers are not there.
The question is not relevant.
It is relevant to this and to my last question. I am asking, not that the school-leavers co-operate, but that the employers co-operate.
The Deputy is making a statement rather than asking a question.
34.
asked the Minister for Labour the total number of applicants registered at the National Manpower Service at the latest available date; and the proportion of those who have obtained employment through this service in the past three months.
On the 29th June, 1973, there were 16,481 men and 5,046 women registered with the National Manpower Service. During the past three months 3,096 persons, 2,200 men and 896 women, have been placed in employment through the service, that is, approximately 14 per cent of the total number registered on 29th June. Taking it on the basis of vacancies notified, the proportion filled was nearly 60 per cent and, if vacancies cancelled by employers were taken into account, the proportion filled was 72 per cent.
Would the Minister be satisfied with the number of vacancies that are notified to the National Manpower Service or is he going to be satisfied with the old traditional methods that they are only available through certain unions and not through the manpower service?
I am anxious to ensure that the vacancies, wherever they come up, should have the widest public knowledge that they are available. I hope that we can build up greater co-operation with employers to see that the manpower service is properly utilised.
I should like to ask the Minister to ask Dublin Corporation that candidates for employment in the corporation are taken from the national manpower service register and not just from the unions.
As the Deputy is aware we are faced with a complicated situation where you do have, by tradition, such methods of filling employment. This also holds for many employers in the country. I think that the way forward is by way of persuasion rather than by legislative intervention.
Does the national manpower service send regular circulars to employers?
Yes.
How often?
I am told very frequently. I am not in a position to give the exact details.
Would the Minister see that they are sent more often?
Yes.
Why does Dublin Corporation confine themselves for employment opportunities to about five unions?
I do not know the answer to that.
35.
asked the Minister for Labour if he will make a statement on the case of an applicant (name supplied) who has been registered with the National Manpower Service for a considerable time for consideration for apprenticeship, is almost 18 years and in consequence will be too old to commence an apprenticeship and on whose behalf no effort was made to secure an apprenticeship; and if he is satisfied with the operation of the present system.
I understand that this particular applicant is interested primarily in the mechanical and electrical trades. There is no upper age limit for entry to these two trades so that if he succeeds in obtaining an apprenticeship, whether through the National Manpower Service or through his own efforts, his age will not be a barrier. The National Manpower Service have been doing everything possible to obtain an apprenticeship for the applicant and will continue to do so. The Deputy will understand that, with the supply of applicants far outstripping the number of vacancies at any time and the final selection from among candidates resting with the employer there is a limit to what the National Manpower Service can do in any case, and placement of all applicants in apprenticeship cannot be guaranteed.
Has the National Manpower Service made any estimate as to the possible number of vacancies that would arise in a particular trade in a particular year? Could this be conveyed to the schools, to the vocational schools in particular, who have their candidates willing to take up apprenticeship? Is there any suggestion that the candidates might be made aware that they should take up an alternative trade? Has any study been made of the requirements in any particular trade?
There is quite an amount of study under way at present on the whole question of apprenticeships. There is the problem of shortage of apprentices and yet, in certain areas, the number of applicants far outstrip the number of vacancies. AnCO, as the Deputy knows, has recently published a study of the whole area. There is discussion and debate proceeding and we would hope to get some means whereby trades which require skilled entrants, the skilled entrants the economy will need in the years ahead, will increase the number of vacancies. There are difficulties in that we appear to have more applicants than vacancies at the moment.
This matter has been the subject of protracted correspondence with the National Manpower Service and with, indeed, the Minister's Department. Is the Minister aware that this particular young lad went down to be told they had not got a file on him? He was then told he was being sent for an interview and later still he was told the interview was off and there was no such vacancy arising. The lad had been thwarted in all his efforts to obtain a job in apprenticeship. Could the Minister give an assurance that he will ask the National Manpower Service to look into this case seriously so that this lad will not end up in trouble because this is what is happening young lads like him?
The Chair would be grateful for the co-operation of the Deputy in trying to make some progress on the other questions.
I can assure the Deputy that all in the National Manpower Service will be done on behalf of this apprentice and other apprentices looking for vacancies.
Question No. 36 postponed.