Vol. 373 No. 14
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will take immediate steps to ensure that social welfare recipients under the Jobsearch programme are not coerced onto courses which do not provide creche facilities, are not suited to the recipient's requirements, are an unreasonable distance from the recipient's home, duplicate skills already held by recipients and which further reduce the income of the recipient; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
15.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the widespread concern that the Jobsearch programme may in some circumstances be administered in a way that is discriminatory against married women; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the scheme.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 2 and 15 together.
I would like to make it clear that Jobsearch is a programme of positive action to assist the long term unemployed in particular in their search for work. It also ensures priority placement in Manpower schemes, in AnCO training schemes and in special Jobsearch courses operated by AnCO for a number of these.
The initial interviews under the programme are conducted by the National Manpower Service placement officers. Distance from a course or placement, the skills and experience of the individual and particular financial circumstances are factors considered, inter alia, by the placement officer in assessing persons for placements. Creche facilities are not provided by AnCO on any of their courses including Jobsearch courses. The factors I have referred to would also be taken into account by statutorily appointed deciding officers and appeals officers in their examination of cases referred to them for review of entitlements under the Social Welfare Acts. In reviewing any claim the general child care arrangements made in each particular case, which could include the use of creche facilities, are taken into account.
I would like to assure Deputy Kenny that there is no justification for feeling that the Jobsearch programme is either deliberately or inadvertently discriminatory against married women. All married persons are eligible in the same way as any other unemployed persons for consideration under the Jobsearch programme and are treated similarly under the Social Welfare Acts.
Does the Minister agree that the intention of the scheme is not to create jobs or to train people to seek jobs but to drive people, by harassment and third degree type interviews, off the live register of the unemployed?
No, I do not agree, nor do I accept the Deputy's language in relation to officers in my Department or the Manpower Service. There is no harassment and statutory rights are observed. The scheme is designed to be of positive help and we have had many reports from individuals and groups telling us that they found it a positive help and who want the programme continued and extended.
The Minister said when announcing the scheme that those who would not co-operate would be dealt with by his Department. This seems to mean that people who regard the course offered as unsuitable are reported to the Minister's Department, cut off——
I am awaiting a brief and relevant supplementary question.
Has the Minister directed the employees in his Department to cut off benefits to these people? Can he tell the House how many people have been cut off as a result of the Jobsearch programme? Is a register being maintained of the areas where people are interviewed and employed through the scheme?
Those queries are the subject matter of questions tabled by Deputy Jim Mitchell and Deputy Flanagan and will be taken next.
Where do Jobsearch officers get a list of jobs which are offered to interviewees? It has been brought to my attention that the Manpower office do not have such a list in Dublin and I wonder how the Jobsearch people manage to get a long list of jobs including engineers, draftsmen and all sorts of professional jobs.
The Deputy's question is facetious. He is trying to suggest that a list of jobs is not readily available. The whole purpose of Jobsearch is to assist people to seek jobs themselves and to give facilities to those who have been unemployed for months or even years to look for employment. It also arises in the next question.
Is the Minister satisfied that interviews are conducted in privacy? Because of the complexity of the problems which his Department would like to address, is he aware that several interviews have lasted less than ten minutes? Is he further aware that a short interview, in conditions of less than privacy and the failure to offer a specific developmental opportunity, has a massive psychologically depressing effect on those who are given a greater burden to carry than they had when they came for interview? Are people told why they are knocked off the social welfare recipients' list?
The Deputy asked a whole series of questions. The last is the subject of another question later relating to people who do not comply with the conditions required for payments of social welfare. With regard to the short interview, of course it would be very satisfactory if more time could be made available for a comprehensive interview but it is to make an initial determination of a person's position and to offer placements on available jobs and on training courses or social employment schemes. That would not take a very long time; generally the time for interview was to be about 15 minutes.
We are making little or no progress on questions today. I am calling Question No. 3.
