Vol. 495 No. 7
87 Mr. Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of unemployed people under 25 interviewed under the employment action plan; the number of people placed in employment or training as a result of these interviews; the type of employment or training into which they have moved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21125/98]
99 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on whether the criticism of the Employment Action Plan by the ESRI is justified in view of the fact that, in the absence of additional resources, it represents a shift in focus from the older long-term unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21701/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 89 together.
Ireland has a positive dispostion towards the European Employment Strategy and towards responding to it in an effective way. The focus of our policy is on adopting preventative strategies to stop the drift to long-term unemployment, balanced by ongoing actions to address the needs of those who are already long-term unemployed. The preventative strategy proposed in our employment action plan does not in any way represent a dilution of the commitment to provide interventions to assist the older long-term unemployed.
Ireland has one of the highest levels of active labour market programmes in the EU, with most of these places targeted at the long-term unemployed. There is currently a ratio of one active labour market place for every two full-time unemployed persons in receipt of a payment on the live register. I have no plans to change the proportionate scale of investment in active labour market programmes although there are compelling arguments to change the strategic mix of such programmes and to enhance their quality with a view to getting a better progression of participants to open labour market jobs, and I hope to bring forward proposals on these in the near future.
The introduction of the employment action plan is not a zero sum game but an enhancement of our existing strategy. Within FÁS there has been a very significant additional investment in the placement service which plays a key role in delivery of the plan. At my urging there has also been a reprioritisation within FÁS of the needs of unemployed persons vis-à-vis persons who are not disadvantaged in labour market terms.
The employment action plan has been implemented with effect from 1 September 1998. Under the plan the Government has adopted a preventative approach to unemployment, with early intervention to provide quality supports to jobseekers on the basis of their individual needs to assist them to get or progress towards an open labour market job. In its first phase the preventative strategy is targeted at 18 to 25 year olds with a view to helping them secure a job or other employability support as appropriate.
