Written answers

Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

FÁS Training Programmes

8:00 pm

Photo of Shane McEnteeShane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to retrain the significant number of recently unemployed construction workers; if he has a strategy to migrate them into other industry areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16747/08]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is satisfied that all appropriate retraining opportunities are available for workers who lose their jobs, especially in the construction sector; if he has plans to provide additional training opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16553/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together.

FÁS, as the national training and employment authority, has the remit to provide a range of proactive job-related services, supports and programmes, to assist individuals remain in and return to the labour market. The Agency also promotes workforce development by upgrading the competencies and qualifications of individuals and by providing and facilitating targeted training programmes and services to both employers and employees.

FÁS has a specific policy in place to deal with redundancies and/or company closures. It offers a tailored approach as early as possible to the workers affected with a view to assisting them access alternative employment. This applies to workers in all sectors, including construction.

FÁS has a fast track redundancy notification system in place with my Department, to ensure a speedy and appropriate response is provided to redundant workers. Each response is tailored on a case-by-case basis. As part of the consultation process (in the case of company closures/major redundancies), FÁS establishes the scale of the redundancies, the skills profile of the employees affected, the number of years service/experience of the employees, level of education and any other information deemed relevant to the particular case in question.

FÁS is currently developing a strategy in response to the current slowdown in the construction sector and any anticipated future redundancies. This strategy will contain a number of initiatives/measures such as working in close collaboration with the Construction Industry Federation and other key stakeholders to encourage redundant construction workers to seek retraining in skills that are in short supply in the economy.

In addressing the issue of redundancies, FÁS liaises with other relevant agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, the City/County Enterprise Boards and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. It also works closely with the agencies to identify and support individuals who wish to start their own business.

While the slowdown in new house building has resulted in an increase in unemployment, overall employment is forecast to continue to grow, albeit at a reduced rate than heretofore, thereby providing new job opportunities. The Government is giving priority to fully implementing the National Development Plan in order to boost the productive capacity of the economy. Infrastructural spending under the Plan will help to absorb some of the excess capacity that is emerging from the new house building sector.

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