Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:30 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the arrangements, if any, for the implementation of employment scheme measures outlined in the 1996 budget. [7653/96]
Written Answers. - Employment Schemes.
Tom Kitt
Ceist:31 Mr. T. Kitt asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the progress, if any, that has been made on the implementation of the package of measures for the long-term unemployed which were announced in the 1996 budget. [7614/96]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:35 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the issues, if any, that have been brought to his attention where discrimination exists for unemployed people seeking work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7596/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 31 and 35 together.
I am not aware of any specific discrimination per se that exists for unemployed people seeking work. I do not accept that certain broad categories of the unemployed — such as the long-term unemployed — can face particular difficulties in securing employment. Labour market actions, such as the development of the local employment service, as well as measures such as those announced in the recent budget, seek to overcome such difficulties by, on the one hand, improving the employment-readiness of the unemployed and, on the other hand, engaging with employers to overcome certain biases they may have against persons who have been out of work for a long time.
The package of measures introduced by the Government in the recent budget for the long-term unemployed included the splitting of the community employment programme into two distinct options (a) a part-time integration option and (b) a part-time jobs option and the better targeting of the programme at the long-term unemployed; introduction of a new pilot whole-time jobs option; introduction of a new recruitment subsidy scheme called "Jobstart"; introduction of a new work experience programme called "Work-Place"; and the introduction of special measures for 18/19 year olds.
The following arrangements apply in regard to the implementation of these initiatives.
Community Employment CE: The part-time integration option and the part-time jobs option for CE are being introduced as and from 15 April. The pilot whole-time jobs option will come into operation on 1 July and will provide 1,000 additional opportunities for long-term unemployed people in areas of high unemployment in the cities of Cork, Limerick and Dublin.
Workplace and Jobstart: The planned start up date for "Jobstart" and "Work-place" is May 1996. FÁS, as part of its day to day operational responsibility for both of these programmes has already prepared a design brief, the objectives of which are to inform the target audiences of terms and conditions of each programme; to highlight the benefits of each programme to their primary target audiences; to promote the programmes to employers as being worthwhile measures for their company and to present all information and material in a simple, user-friendly manner.
Discussions are ongoing between my Department and FÁS, ICTU, INOU and IBEC on the final details of these programmes. I hope that these will be completed later this week. It is my intention to arrange a launch of the programmes in May this year. This is earlier than the projected date of 1 July originally proposed.
Special Measures for 18-19 Year Olds: On-going discussions are taking place between by Department, FÁS and the Department of Social Welfare regarding the implementation of these initiatives which will provide opportunities for 500 young unemployed people at any one time. It is intended that the programme will apply to those 18-19 year olds who have been six months on the live register. The measures will include a youth progression programme for each individual designed to encourage young people into the labour market and to prevent them from drifting into prolonged dependence on the live register.