Dáil debates

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

Priority Questions

Employment Support Services.

2:30 pm

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of social welfare recipients referred to FÁS training or employment services during the past five years; the number who successfully accessed full-time employment; the number who have since returned to social welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36037/08]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The national employment action plan is the Government's main welfare to work measure. It has been in operation since 1998 and proved successful in that period in assisting people on the live register back into employment. It is a preventive strategy that provides systematic engagement of the employment services with the unemployed.

The operation of the plan involves referral of people on the live register who have been unemployed for a certain period to FÁS. Currently, every person between the ages of 18 and 65 years approaching three months on the live register is referred to FÁS for interview with a view to assisting them in finding employment. Clients are given an interview time and are requested to present for interview with a FÁS employment officer at the appointed time. It is a key element of the Government's labour market policy. The employment action plan provides access to the range of employment, training and education opportunities afforded by FÁS.

In the five years ending December 2007, a total of 226,052 people on the live register were referred to FÁS under the plan. A total of 149,806 were interviewed, of whom 39,022 were placed in jobs, training or education and a further 31,401 left the live register shortly after the interview but without additional intervention from FÁS. In the period between January and August 2008, a total of 40,407 people were referred to FÁS, of whom 26,132 were interviewed by the agency and 4,618 were placed in jobs, training or education. Information is not collected on those returning to the live register in a manner that would identify whether their most recent employment resulted from a FÁS job placement.

The employment action plan process is a key element in addressing the progression needs of those on the live register. It provides a stimulus to job search and affords an opportunity to explore, under professional guidance, the full range of employment and training services offered by FÁS. In addition to the plan, a range of other education and employment supports are available to persons in receipt of welfare payments. These initiatives are designed to assist and facilitate people on social welfare payments to return to the active labour force. These measures include the back to work allowance and back to education allowance, which I dealt with earlier. A team of facilitators is also in place in the Department to provide additional, more intensive assistance, for those who need it such as people who have been identified by FÁS as needing further support.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the figures. However, there is a significant gap between the number being interviewed by FÁS and the number referred to employment and training programmes. Between January and July 2008, 35,000 people were referred by the Department to FÁS of whom 1,344 were referred to agency schemes and 275 to further education and training. Why are those figures so low? The Minister stated the Department does not collate information regarding the number of people on FÁS placements who subsequently take up employment. Would it be a good idea to do so in order that we can establish what is working? It is difficult to improve an organisation if the facts are not available, although I appreciate FÁS does not come within the Minister's remit. Is the Minister happy the system is working and is effective? What changes have been made in the past year in the interaction between the Department and FÁS bearing in mind unemployment is increasing steadily?

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I would like more interaction between FÁS and those on the live register. Currently, 1,620 interview slots are available and more use could be made of them. I did not outline the number of people who leave the live register when invited by FÁS for interview. That means FÁS has capacity to call more people than it anticipates turning up. Of the 40,000 clients referred to the agency by the Department between July and August this year, 26,000 were interviewed. However, 20,000 people had left the live register, which includes those who did not show for interview or who had secured employment. I have raised this issue with FÁS officials.

I also mentioned to them that I am concerned about the number of people the agency is unable to place because they need more support. That is why an additional ten facilitators were employed from September to work directly with these people to establish their needs. Do they have basic education or literacy problems? What training do they need? We are also ensuring people are recalled by FÁS more frequently than in the past. Joint meetings take place regularly between the agency and the Department to review this policy. It would be wrong not to acknowledge the successes where people have been placed in jobs, training and education. However, there is scope for more placements and that is why I have been working with the agency on this.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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FÁS has a budget of €1 billion per year. Last year the Minister stated 51,500 people were referred to the agency by her Department of whom 2,763 were referred to employment and training programmes and 866 to further education. Approximately 3,600 people, therefore, were referred further by an agency with a budget of €1 billion. I appreciate it is engaged in other activities but its core function is to assist the unemployed to return to work. By any measure, that is a failure.

The Minister stated twice she appointed 50 facilitators during the summer to work with lone parents and the unemployed on a one-to-one basis, which means each facilitator must carry a caseload of 8,000 people. How can one person deal with 8,000 people and give them an opportunity to leave the live register and return to work?

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The facilitators will not work with everybody. A significant number of people join the live register for a week or a month.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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This involves tens of thousands of people.

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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FÁS identifies the people who can best benefit from this process. The additional interaction with the facilitators and education can help to support that. The aim is to deploy a facilitator in all the major offices to do that work.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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They will not deal with people on a one-to-one basis.

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct that the FÁS budget is €1 billion. Many training programmes are undertaken that do not involve people on the live register, including those for apprentices who have a particular difficulty currently.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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A difficulty that has not been solved.

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The agency has adapted the courses its offers. For example, staff in its Loughlinstown centre are working closely with companies in Cherrywood to ensure they can meet their employment needs.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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That is not what I asked about.

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have met FÁS officials and I will continue to meet them. There is scope for more people to be interviewed and directed into training and I intend to pursue this with them.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Nothing is happening. There is no progress.