Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Jul 2001

Vol. 540 No. 3

Written Answers. - Live Register.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

41 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures she will put in place to ensure that those among the national unemployed figure of 3.7% who are marginalised from the labour market and who want paid work can reach their full potential. [20225/01]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

According to the latest Quarterly National Household Survey, there are 65,600 people unemployed or 3.7% of the labour force. The long-term unemployed account for 21,500, 1.2%, of this total. There is a range of measures in place designed to ensure that unemployed and marginalised people are given the opportunity to take up paid work.

FÁS engages with persons on the live register as they cross a certain period of unemployment with a view to preventing their becoming long-term unemployed. Persons are referred by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and are offered a job, training or other support. To date 51,425 people have been referred and 67% have signed off the live register.

The national employment service, including the services at local level, are designed to provide individual supports to persons who are severely disadvantaged in labour market terms. The local employment service has more than 15,000 clients at present. A number of active labour market programmes, designed to give unemployed and marginalised people the necessary work experience, training or incentive to progress to the labour market, are in place.

FÁS programmes, such as community employment and the job initiative programme are tar geted at the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged persons. These programmes provide work experience for participants and valuable opportunities for personal development and training. The primary purpose of such programmes is to reintegrate participants into work in the open labour market. There are currently some 32,000 places on CE. Under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, PPF, this is expected to reduce to 28,000 by 2003. Other programmes include the back-to-work allowance, operated by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, with approximately 40,000 participants and vocational training opportunities scheme, operated by the Department of Education and Science, with more than 5000 places.

I recently launched the social economy programme which will support enterprises in providing social services for disadvantaged communities and, in so doing, will provide full-time jobs for people who are three years long-term unemployed and over 35 years of age. Other marginalised groups are also eligible. Some 2,500 jobs are expected to be created by 2003. In addition, FÁS provides a range of courses, such as return to work, specific skills training, or enterprise training, to help integrate disadvantaged people into the open labour market. FÁS provided training to approximately 30,000 people in 2000.

My Department has made a number of commitments in the PPF to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. These focus on skills development to facilitate the progression of people with disabilities into sustainable employment, the development of specific employment programmes targeted at people with disabilities and improved employment supports for both people with disabilities and employers. Also, as identified in the PPF, some job seekers may have difficulties in getting and keeping a job in the open labour market due to age and other personal barriers such as health, literacy and numeracy factors. Appropriate long-term supports are needed for people experiencing employment barriers of this nature. My Department is finalising proposals for a high supports process, which will enhance the range of options available for persons with employment barriers. Further consultations with the social partners on the high supports process are due to take place shortly with a view to implementation at an early date.