Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 3

Written Answers. - Live Register Details.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

18 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the discussions, if any, he has had with the Central Statistics Office regarding the conduct of a detailed survey of the skills, past experience and ambitions of those on the live register so that better programmes can be designed to meet their needs.

Liam Burke

Ceist:

33 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the discussions, if any, he has had with the Central Statistics Office regarding the conduct of a detailed survey of the skills, past experience and ambitions of those on the live register so that better programmes can be designed to meet their needs.

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 33 together.

The Minister of State with responsibility for Labour Affairs is well aware of the need to ensure that the best possible information is available on the skills and experience of persons on the live register, so that all policy decisions are based on comprehensive factual information.

The existing liaison arrangements between FÁS and the Department of Social Welfare are sufficiently developed to ensure that information is available to FÁS on the skill levels of the majority of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance. FÁS supplements the information on work history and job classification available to the Department of Social Welfare through its own registration process with information relating to qualifications, skill levels, etc.

This information assists FÁS to tailor its training and employment schemes within established budgets to best effect having regard to the needs of those registered as unemployed and the employment opportunities becoming available in the economy.

In addition I have asked my officials to examine, in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and the Central Statistics Office, any possible ways in which the information about unemployed persons could be developed further as an aid to policy making.