There are a few aspects of the report the approval body in Europe sent to us in respect to how the fund should work which are highly important to the association and its members. A high degree of flexibility must be used in respect of the three pillars from which funds can be drawn down. Each individual must be allowed to choose the courses he or she wants to take regardless of whether they are provided by private or public training facilities or colleges. People must not be told which courses to pursue.
Europe indicated that we are the social partners and that we are only being entertained on an extremely light basis, in the context of a partnership approach, by the various Government bodies with which we have dealt. That is not good enough. Either they accept us as partners or the entire process will fail.
Social welfare entitlements, as per the EU, are to be retained by all our members, irrespective of which parameters might be used in respect of funds being withdrawn. I refer here to business start-up, job placement or education-cum-training. The final point put forward by Europe relates to pre-standard courses. Any such courses funded by FÁS and provided through the Department of Education and Science will be excluded from the fund.
The three pillars to which I referred in the context of drawing down moneys from the fund are job placement, education and training and business start-ups. The relevant bodies in respect of the provision of education and training are public and private training colleges. In the context of education and training, there must be a high degree of flexibility. Individuals must have a choice — this is a point I will hammer home during the entire course of this meeting, if necessary — and social welfare entitlements must remain available. If there are difficulties with regard to social welfare entitlements, we will inform members of that as we discuss the individual pillars.
There are some issues that arise in respect of education and training. Three and a half months ago we met representatives from FÁS, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the VECs and various other bodies at FÁS's offices in Limerick. We brought to their attention that social welfare would be a major issue for anyone who wanted to pursue a course through a private institution. Last week we were presented with a token gesture in respect of our concerns regarding social welfare. We have been informed that those individuals who attend private colleges will retain their social welfare payments if they pursue FETAC or HETAC-approved courses or attend FETAC or HETAC-approved colleges. That is not good enough. There are several courses that certain people are taking which are highly accredited and nationally recognised. The Department of Social and Family Affairs must get its act together and discuss this matter with us. We will inform it of the identity of the individuals to whom I refer and the courses they are taking. These people's social welfare payments must be preserved.
As already stated, individual choice and flexibility are paramount. Europe has indicated that individuals must have a choice. If, therefore, the courses people decide to pursue are accredited, they must be facilitated in pursuing them.
At the two-day fair that took place on 11 and 12 February last, the misinformation presented by FÁS and the Department of Social and Family Affairs was appalling. We were approached by members who were in floods of tears. These people, and those who worked in ancillary sectors, have been disenfranchised as a result of Dell's decision to close down its operations. They did not have a clue with regard to what the representatives from FÁS and the Department were saying to them. They were informed that they could not pursue private courses and that their social welfare payments would be withdrawn if they chose to take courses at private colleges. That is not good enough, particularly as it happened some three and a half months after our raising the matter with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Each individual who decides to pursue a course within the current year should be granted a personal assessment in the form of a psychometric test. If the latter is carried out in a professional manner, it will indicate to the people involved the kind of course they should probably pursue.
In the context of courses people take, either private or full time in public or private colleges, we have found that those who provide mortgage insurance cover are intimidating our members and informing them that their insurance for the year in which they a pursue courses will be void. Again, that is not good enough. We are depending on members to call on representatives of the Insurance Federation of Ireland, IFI, to come before the committee and oblige them to answer questions in respect of this unique fund, which is being provided by Europe, and the people who are going to access it. The latter are being intimidated by insurance companies, which is not acceptable.
Three and a half months ago we discussed the issue of those who are on invalidity or disability pensions but we have heard nothing about it since. We do not know what will happen to these people. We raised the matter three and a half months ago with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment but we have not yet received a response.
With regard to business start-ups, again there must be individual choice and a high degree of flexibility. We hope there will not be surplus funds. However, if there are such funds we will be obliged to arrive at a way in which they can be spent. They should not be returned to Europe.
In the context of entrepreneurship, the regulations under which Departments work must be cast aside. If people have ideas, they must be entertained. There must be flexibility, red tape must be dispensed with and if there are perceived problems — of which we are not aware — regarding social welfare payments and business start-ups, then people must be informed now rather than in two months' time when they are obliged to come up with a business plan.
At our meeting with representatives of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS three and a half months ago, we discussed a partnership approach in respect of this matter. However, we are only being fed tidbits. We feel we are not being represented properly by these people. They do not want us as partners. Unless they accept and pursue a partnership approach with our association, 50% of the fund will be returned to Europe. That would be a crying shame. We are either partners or we are not.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, through FÁS, without consulting us, arranged to hold a meeting in Limerick tomorrow. Terms of reference, and so on, were drawn up in respect of the meeting but nothing was discussed with us. We informed the person who arranged the meeting that we will not attend. I have heard that the meeting has since been cancelled because we will not attend. The only way we will attend such meetings, is if we are accepted as partners in the entire process.
It is obvious that the Department of Social and Family Affairs and FÁS need to educate the officials who dealt with 1,300 of our members at the fair which took place on 11 and 12 February. Many of these people came away not knowing what in God's name was happening. They were being fed misinformation in this regard. The FÁS hierarchy should have approached their own people en bloc and told them how to treat these people and what to say even just to have a uniform communications session with them. They obviously did not know.
One official from the Department of Social and Family Affairs on the group was saying one thing while another departmental official on the group was saying a different thing. It was chaotic and totally unacceptable. People should be respected. We are all disenfranchised, as are the ancillary companies and the people associated with them, since Dell closed. Everybody should be treated with respect. Hopefully, we will all have hope on a national scale. Let us not drop that hope for these people. We need committee members and the body politic to get behind us regarding this fund. We are trying to give money to institutions and people and all we are meeting is roadblocks, red tape and God knows what else.
The trust and credibility of the people who have been put in charge of this is at rock bottom. On a national scale, the credibility of FÁS is on the floor, yet it has been assigned the utmost respect by the Department and told to deal with this. That is incredible.
On job placement, there is good news at last. At least FÁS locally has come up with a CE scheme for 100 people. I do not fully understand the criteria for getting people on board and I do not know how it will affect them but at least 100 people will be taken off social welfare, which is good.
We forwarded a proposal to a grouping, including the Department last November, for a grant aided scheme for any potential employer who may not take on an individual to be drawn down from the EGF. Three and a half months later, we have received no information about that. Our membership alone does not include everybody who could apply for this fund. We only have 1,700 while FÁS is saying we have 1,800, 2,300 and 2,900 of the 3,300 workers laid off. No one seems to know. FÁS said it had a complete database but it does not, nor do we. We have only 1,700 members and at least people are coming to us. Since December, we have gone from 235 to 1,700 members. That is how popular we are in Limerick.
Through this grant aided scheme, we have identified 600 people. Can members imagine if employers over the next 18 months in the mid-west decided to take on 600 people at €5,000 each? The Government says every unemployed person costs the State €20,000. If that is multiplied by 600, it would mean a saving of €12 million. Can people within the Departments take action to address this? We want action taken but we do not know how to proceed. The Departments do. Let us get to it and let us get to grips with this. It has slowed down so much that it seems that the Departments are working at two speeds, dead slow and stop. We are proactive; they are reactive. Let us get together as a group and resolve this. The way all the Departments are behaving is appalling.