Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide details on the proposed integration of the public employment functions of FÁS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39985/10]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the plans to transfer a number of FÁS responsibilities into his Department; if his Department's responsibilities are likely to include responsibility for setting the materials budgets of community employment projects and if transferred if he intends to reverse recent developments whereby senior FÁS personnel are severely restricting those budgets (details supplied). [40073/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 82 together.

The Taoiseach announced on 23rd March 2010 that the Department of Social and Family Affairs would be reconfigured as the Department of Social Protection with the transfer to it of a number of functions including the employment and community services programmes of FÁS and the transfer from it of functions relating to social inclusion and family supports. The training services of FÁS will remain under the remit of my colleague the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills. The purpose of this reorganisation is to provide a more effective and streamlined service to the unemployed by integrating the income support provided through the social welfare system with supports for activation and re-entry to employment.

The Social Welfare Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2010 provided the legislative basis for transferring policy and financial responsibility for the employment and community services programmes of FÁS from the Minister for Education and Skills. It is intended to commence this part of the Act shortly. From date of commencement, FÁS will continue to provide these services but under the direction of my Department. Further legislation is under preparation to provide for the transfer the relevant staff and related resources from FÁS to my Department during the course of 2011.

A major programme of change is currently being developed by my Department, in close consultation with senior management in FÁS and the Department of Education and Skills, with the objective of developing a new service vision and model for the integrated Department. The aim is to create a Department which is structured around the customer rather than the schemes it delivers so that people can obtain the services they require, and are entitled to, in a seamless, effective and efficient way.

In this regard, a number of significant steps have already been taken to develop a more streamlined and integrated service between FÁS and my Department. For example, as a result of a review of the National Employment Action Plan, a number of enhancements are being made to improve the delivery of services to people who are unemployed. These include the introduction of group engagements with people referred to the employment services and the development of a new case management approach to managing interactions with people signing on for jobseekers payments.

Where the funding of Community Employment projects is concerned, the current resources allocated to this programme will be transferring to my Department. Any decisions as to the future funding of these projects will be taken in the context of the Government's deliberations on the four year budgetary framework.

Question No. 71 answered with Question No. 55.