Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will engage with other Departments to explore the possibility of developing new FÁS training programmes that focus on the development and maintenance of parks and landscapes of local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2542/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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First, as the Deputy will be aware, ministerial and departmental responsibility for matters concerning FÁS training programmes lies with the Tánaiste and Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, respectively. Local authorities have a strong record in carrying out work on behalf of local communities in areas such as the renovation of community buildings and general environmental work of great value at local level.

Arising out of a meeting between the Tánaiste, myself and the County and City Managers Association last year, local authorities are engaged with FÁS, with the support of my Department and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, to explore the potential of their involvement in training and employment opportunities in this regard. A working group representative of county and city managers and senior FÁS personnel has been established to advance this work as quickly as possible. Among the issues being considered are general job placements, support for redundant apprentices and placements for graduates and recently unemployed professionals. The areas referred to by the Deputy will also be considered under the relevant FÁS schemes such as the work placement programme. I assure the House of my continued support in this regard.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. Will the Minister give an indication of the number of places that will become available? As he knows, many people are unemployed who would have no difficulty in getting involved and undertaking some of this work. Many of our parks have had cutbacks imposed on them by the local authorities as a result of the direct cut in local government funding. It is essential the public gets a proper service in our parks, that parks are properly maintained and rivers properly drained and cleared out. The Minister should seek to get these people working immediately and contributing to society.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I emphasise that this is a matter primarily for the Tánaiste. However, I would be very happy to highlight the Deputy's proposal to her and her Department. The maintenance of our public parks and our local authority landscapes is of great importance to local communities. The constructive proposals that have been made are worthy of careful consideration.

The Deputy asked about the numbers. I understand existing FÁS schemes, such as the work placement programme which has been designed to provide nine months' work experience for 2,000 unemployed individuals while they retain their social welfare entitlements, can be used to do the type of work envisaged by the Deputy. It will certainly be brought to the attention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Has the Minister information on how many places have been approved for the FÁS work placement scheme for local authorities? I understand many public bodies have been approved but how many local authority places have there been to date?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I will try to get that information. I have various figures in front of me but I will try to give an exact figure which I do not have at present.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister can revert to the Deputy.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Yes.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I welcome the Minister's response to Deputy Terence Flanagan on taking this to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I imagine that the intent of this question and what is proposed is to complement existing local services rather than to replace them.

On a similar theme, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment's reply to a parliamentary question of mine before Christmas showed there are 2,400 apprentices within six to 12 months of the completion of their apprenticeships who are without work and cannot complete their qualifications until they acquire work. Given that local authorities, particularly in today's economic climate, are among the biggest procurers of contracts and tenders, would the Minister consider putting a position in place whereby local authority tendering processes would in future take cognisance of the situation and ensure these apprentices could be taken on, even for a temporary period, to complete this training? At present, the breakdown is that there are 1,650 of these apprentices in the construction sector, more than 500 in the electrical sector, 68 in the engineering sector and more than 100 in the mechanical sector.

The simple suggestion I make to the Minister is that, as part of the tendering process, a number of these people in Cork, in the Minister's constituency and elsewhere could be taken on and given that six months' to 12 months' experience. Ultimately, the difficulty they have is that they cannot secure employment either here or abroad until they have that paperwork completed.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Again, I emphasise that these are primarily matters for the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which is why I could not give exact figures to Deputy Tuffy. The suggestions made by all of the Deputies are very constructive ones. I will be happy to bring them to the attention of the Tánaiste. I agree that what the Deputy says makes sense. In the current economic downturn, we have to be innovative in the way we approach these matters to ensure people can carry out this sort of very valuable work and, as the Deputy says, merely supplement what is already there. This is not a means of replacing people and we need to emphasise that point.