Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 3

Written Answers. - Combat Poverty Agency Report.

Dick Spring

Ceist:

75 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans to act on the recommendation from the Combat Poverty Agency that the Government should establish an early warning profiling system for people most likely to become long-term unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6601/02]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

80 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his views on the findings of the Combat Poverty Agency sponsored study, Moving On The Dynamics of Unemployment in Ireland During the 1990s. [6626/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 80 together.

I welcome the recent publication of the report from the Combat Poverty Agency referred to in the questions. The report examines data from the living in Ireland surveys over a five year period from 1994 to 1998 and illustrates mobility between unemployment and other labour market situations during this time.

In this regard it complements work currently under way in my Department to identify and address the characteristics, and their relative impacts, associated with long-term unemployment. In particular it complements the findings of the report Employability and its Relevance for Management of the Live Register, commissioned by my Department and published by the ESRI in May 2001.

While the base of the living in Ireland survey is not necessarily the same as customers on the live register, both reports highlight issues such as age, gender health, education and previous work experience as having a bearing on the labour market status of an individual.

Both reports also call for a combined effort to be made in putting preventative measures in place to prevent the drift into long-term unemployment and for better targeting of interventions. In line with these recommendations my Department has further developed the strong links which exist with agencies such as FÁS, vocational education committees and the National Adult Literacy Agency to assist customers make the progression from the live register to employment or further education and training.

In relation to the recommendation that a system of profiling be established, this echoes a recommendation in the ESRI report on employability commissioned by my Department. In the employability report it is recognised that a longitudinal survey is required to assemble characteristics associated with unemployed people and their differential durations on the live register, with the relative impact of each characteristic, before an accurate profiling model can be developed.

A survey of this type is currently under way in my Department's local office in Galway in conjunction with the ESRI. This survey involves updating data obtained during a comprehensive survey of customers at that office in June 2000. The ESRI will examine data emerging from this process and develop a statistical model of characteristics likely to lead a person to remain on the live register.

The consultants expect to be in a position to report on this process by mid-2002 whereupon the model will be tested against a control sample. Depending on outcomes consultation may be required with other Departments, relevant agencies and the social partners.

My Department is currently engaged, as part of its employment support programme, in identifying and referring people on the live register who require a range of targeted supports to help them make the transition to work or further training and education. The types of services which my Department's job facilitators offer are broadly in line with the recommendations in both reports.

Question No. 76 answered with Question No. 53.