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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Job Losses.

David Stanton

Ceist:

166 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans she has to assist those who will be without jobs following the closure of IFI; the progress in this regard to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19819/02]

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, on my direction, Enterprise Ireland, FÁS and the IDA have adopted a coordinated approach in response to the closure of the major IFI plants in Cork and Arklow. The approach is directed at assisting all employees affected by the closure and is already under way.

The co-ordinated approach has two objectives, firstly to enhance and facilitate the future employment prospects of the IFI workforce and secondly to identify and support any individual who wishes to start their own business. The programme to implement this strategy is summarised as follows with the relevant responsible agency indicated: registration of all employees, their occupation and skill level (FÁS); assessing job prospects and skill requirements in the relevant localities (FÁS, EI, IDA); encouraging local companies to consider IFI employees for job opportunities (EI); guidance interviews available for all IFI employees (FÁS); retraining courses provided to facilitate future job prospects of IFI employees with course content devised to match existing and projected local requirements (FÁS, IDA); presentations in both Cork and Arklow by EI and the county enterprise board (CEB) executives on starting your own business detailing the range of supports available from EI and the CEB (EI and CEB); follow up one-to-one interviews with employees interested in starting their own businesses, (EI, CEB). This programme of involvement is being delivered in Cork and Arklow by the regionally based staff of the agencies and is coordinated by a selected senior executive in each agency.

These supportive efforts have been agreed with the management of IFI which is facilitating the process at both plants. Specific actions both planned and under way are set out as follows. Enterprise Ireland has written to its client companies in the areas of Wicklow-south County Dublin and east Cork-Cork city advising them of the pool of labour that will become available shortly from the IFI closure. The letter outlines the range of skills involved and a contact point. FÁS held briefing sessions with Management and Union representatives on Wednesday, 30 October in Cork, Arklow and Sandyford – corporate headquarters – to give an overview of FÁS involvement with IFI employees in advising on future career development. These sessions included inputs from the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners. During week beginning 4 November FÁS will register all IFI employees and give initial guidance interviews on career planning. On 13 November the registration and interview process will be assessed and training and retraining requirements will be agreed with FÁS and IFI representatives. IDA will liaise with FÁS on training course content to match the needs of recently announced start-up and expansions of IDA companies in the affected areas – FÁS, IDA – start your own business seminars are scheduled to be held in the week starting 4 November in Arklow and Cork for IFI employees. These seminars are being conducted by Enterprise Ireland and county enterprise board executives and assisted by an experienced business mentor. Follow on one-to-one meetings will be held where required and the full range of EI and CEB support will be available to all IFI employees wishing to start their own business.
This initial phase of the programme will give rise to an on going series of activities involving training-retraining of employees, individual counselling sessions and exploring potential new business ideas. FÁS will maintain the register of employees and track the outcome of the agencies efforts on an individual basis.
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