Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of meetings his Department has held with FÁS in the last year in relation to lone parents and encouraging them into the workplace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23107/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Senior officials from my Department meet with FÁS on a regular basis to discuss policy and operational issues arising in the management of the National Employment Action Plan. They have met with their counterparts in FÁS in that context on eight occasions in the past year. Discussions took place at recent meetings on the Government discussion paper "Supporting Lone Parents" and proposed activation and support measures in this area.

In addition regional and local meetings take place between officials from my Department and their regional and local counterparts in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and FÁS. Issues concerning Lone Parents were also discussed at these meetings.

Furthermore, FÁS was represented at the consultation forum on lone parents which I held with representative groups and State Agencies in Farmleigh on 27 April 2006 following the publication of the Government Discussion Paper. I am aware that FÁS was also represented at a number of meetings of the Working Group set up under the Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion to progress the work in this area.

A review of the National Employment Action Plan was completed in November 2005 by Indecon International Consultants for my Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS. One of the recommendations is that the NEAP continue as an effective labour market measure and that consideration be given to extending it to other groups such as lone parents. The recommendations of the Indecon Report are under consideration by my Department and FÁS at present.