Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 172: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has held discussions with the Department of Finance regarding new job support initiatives in view of the rise in job losses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33294/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Discussions with the Department of Finance are ongoing in the context of the Budget 2009 and these discussions will determine the levels of funding for job support initiatives.

In the meantime, FÁS is working to quickly respond to the changing employment market. FÁS is implementing a range of short and medium term actions for those most concerned. It is increasing flexibility in the delivery of employment and training programmes so that those affected by the slowdown and by unemployment can be assisted appropriately and in good time.

In particular:

FÁS and the Department of Social and Family Affairs have agreed that redundant apprentices will be referred immediately to FÁS rather than wait for three months on the Live Register as was the case before. FÁS has also established a training fund to enable a speedy response to identified re-training needs for low skilled and redundant craft workers.

FÁS is, with the Local Employment Services provided by Area-Based Partnerships, currently gearing up its Employment Services further to provide increased capacity for expected increased referrals from the Live Register.

A range of actions are also being implemented by FÁS for those affected by the construction slowdown, including:

putting in place training to upskill construction workers in relation to emerging needs, such as the installation of new technologies, environmental activity and compliance and regulatory work;

business training and mentoring for workers from larger enterprises entering self-employment;

promoting access for mobile workers to construction jobs elsewhere in the EU;

developing measures to ensure continuity in the apprenticeship system, such as:

assisting redundant apprentices to source employment, in order that they can complete their apprenticeship by receiving the appropriate on-the-job training and undertaking the associated competence based assessments;

allowing apprentices who are made redundant to progress to their next off-the-job training phase of their apprenticeship, without having to do the next on-the-job phase first;

establishing a regional register of redundant apprentices. Employers who are considering recruiting apprentices will be requested to consider the employment of redundant apprentices listed on the register.