Vol. 399 No. 1
9 Mr. T. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Labour if, in view of recent forecast of persevering long-term unemployment in urban areas including Dublin and Cork, he has any special plans to combat such long-term unemployment through priority action in these areas using the various schemes available to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
31 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Labour, in view of the forecast of continued high levels of long-term unemployment in the Dublin region, the steps, if any, he will take, in conjunction with FÁS, to develop programmes including the social employment scheme in view of the appalling social conditions of some areas of Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 31 together.
Deputies will be aware that provision for the long-term unemployed has been, and continues to be, a Government priority. At EC level I hope to have a resolution on action to assist the long-term unemployed adopted at the Social Affairs Council next week. The initiative for the resolution was taken by myself in my capacity as President of the Social Affairs Council. The particular unemployment problems of urban areas will be covered in the resolution. Following the adoption of the resolution, I will be pressing the question of EC assistance for such areas.
The employment creation package announced by me on 27 September 1989 took account of the Government's desire to initiate special measures in urban disadvantaged areas generally as outlined in the Programme for Government.
The position with regard to the main measures in the package is as follows: expansion of the social employment scheme through the recruitment of an extra 1,000 people from urban disadvantaged areas over the 12 month period from end September 1989. Over 400 people have joined the scheme from disadvantaged areas since September. The extension of the scheme to cater for 15,000 people by the end of 1990 should further benefit disadvantaged areas; £500,000 has been provided from national lottery funds in 1990 towards the cost of materials for Community Youth Training Programme projects in urban disadvantaged areas; and the employment incentive scheme has been revamped and redirected towards the long-term unemployed, early school leavers and other disadvantaged persons and the overall grant payable to employers to recruit additional workers has been increased.
In addition Deputies will be aware that I have provided a bonus of £10 per week for trainees with dependants to help meet the cost of undergoing training. I have also provided a child dependant payment of £10 per week per child for participants on the social employment scheme. Given the high number of long-term unemployed in Dublin city, I would hope that we could start a number of SES projects in the area as soon as possible and talks are ongoing on that matter. The provision of more detailed information on training and employment programmes for individual counties is a day-to-day matter for FÁS.
While I accept that the Minister has at all times expressed concern for the unemployed, particularly the long-term unemployed, there is a growing problem in regard to the expansion of the social employment scheme in as much as there is growing resistance among trade unionists on the shop floor because they see that the social employment scheme is doing work which they consider to be more proper for permanent employees, especially work in the local authorities. It is possible that in some areas of the country there will not be sufficient people to take up the social employment scheme. Would the Minister comment on that?
The Deputy is correct in that there are some difficulties in this regard. Because there are more job opportunities now — full-time, part-time and casual — a campaign is being mounted by people in some local authority areas who are reluctant to take part in the scheme. I have endeavoured, in conjunction with the various action groups dealing with unemployed people throughout the country, to respond by increasing the differential between the amount people get on the social employment scheme and what they would get on State benefit — for example by providing the child benefit of £10 to which I referred. Last year we tried to keep the amount in line with social welfare increases, and that matter is under review again pending the social welfare increases in July. I will continue to monitor this matter and try to create the right climate. Talks took place yesterday between the Department and FÁS and the SIPTU trade union about difficulties in Dublin and Cork and we are endeavouring to resolve that aspect of the matter.
Would the Minister——
A brief question, please. I want to dispose of the remaining questions, if possible.
In recent months Germany have applied to the European Commission for funding towards job placement. Has the Minister made a submission to the Commission in this regard? Has he considered the lifting of the embargo on recruitment in the public sector as a means of employing people in the near future?
In reply to the second part of the question, that is not a matter for me. If it had been, I would not have had some of the difficulties in my own Department and in FÁS in not being able to fill posts recently. In regard to the German initiative, I have spoken to Mr. Blum and Mr. Vogt, the two German Ministers concerned, and they are actively supporting the Irish resolution on long-term unemployed seeking funding from the 5 per cent reserve from the Social Fund. Hopefully after the meetings in Brussels next Monday and Tuesday we will have some additional resources.
Will the Minister confirm one matter for me?
I have given Deputy O'Sullivan quite a lot of latitude on his priority question.
In regard to the grants from the European Commission, would the Minister confirm if there is a 60 per cent grant available towards wages for those participating in European schemes?
It ranges from 55 per cent to 70 per cent.
