asked the Minister for Labour if he will consider conducting a sample survey of people one year after they first became unemployed, examining their employment experience and the effect of age, training, employment schemes on success, with the objective of improving our knowledge of the problems of the unemployed and thereby better tailoring policies to meet their needs in much the same way as the school leaver survey by the National Manpower Service.
Written Answers. - Unemployment Survey.
22.
While the Deputy is obviously aware that there is already a range of information available to policy makers on the characteristics of the unemployed the extent and detail of that information does not provide us with an adequate profile or statistical analysis of the exact location and nature of employment and unemployment within our society. In addition to developing the information resources required for policy formulation, the Government have also been examining the scope for initiatives to provide the long term unemployed with the opportunity of reintegration into the active labour force.
With regard to our current sources of information, there are two principal sources of statistical data: the information on age by duration analysis of the live register which is published twice a year, and the annual labour force survey. Both studies are conducted by the Central Statistics Office. In addition, a number of specific analytical and research studies on the long term unemployed have been carried out.
The Government are considering further possible measures to assist the unemployed, particularly the long term unemployed in the context of the forthcoming White Paper on Manpower Policy. The White Paper will also deal with the question of monitoring and evaluation of existing manpower programmes. It is possible that a survey along the lines suggested by the Deputy could most appropriately be undertaken within the framework of manpower policies as set out in the forthcoming White Paper and I am accordingly having the suggestion looked at within the Department.