First Day Of Employment Action Plan - Harney 400 interviews per week 500 FÁS staff dedicated to initiative

Tánaiste Mary Harney said that the Government's Action Plan on Employment was being "implemented in earnest from today" (Tuesday, 8th September 1998). She was speaking at the new Liffey Valley Shopping Complex near Lucan, Dublin where she revealed that FÁS, key to the success of the Plan, had already assisted 300 people from the Live Register get jobs in the new development where ultimately 5,000 people will be employed.

Speaking at the launch of the Action Plan's implementation phase, Ms. Harney said that "from today, all young people under 25 years of age on the Live Register will be contacted as they approach 6 months unemployment".

"My aim is to provide a new start for young people and bring them into the world of work. Each week 400 young persons will be interviewed by the FÁS team of 500 Placement Officers. This team has been supplemented by 200 personnel to gear up for this major new initiative. My aim is to help young unemployed people, in a proactive way, to take steps towards employment. A new start in the form of training, retraining, work experience, a job or other employment measures will be offered to each person. This process will be extended on a phased basis to those over 25 years of age reaching one years unemployment," the Tánaiste said.

Referring to the requirements of many of the young people who will be referred to FÁS, the Tánaiste said that 7,500 places had been "ring-fenced" in FÁS training programmes and employment schemes to cater for the needs of the 18 to 25 year olds.

"The early intervention programme is a tangible sign of the increased co-operation we have set in place between FÁS and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. To my mind we would be failing the unemployed and taxpayers generally if the income support and employment services do not work closely together to deliver a quality output to their clients," the Tánaiste emphasised.

"I am often asked if under the early intervention programme young persons will be forced to take up a job. I find it hard to understand that anyone would interpret a job offer as a threat rather than an opportunity. But let me say this, programme is about quality supports, not about coercion. The principle underlying the early intervention programme is set out in P2000: in return for the State providing worthwhile supports for jobseekers there is an obligation on them to seek and accept reasonable employment, development and training opportunities. The process of determining if that obligation has been complied with is an entirely independent one. The various stages and conditions applied are set out in the Social Welfare regulations," the Tanaiste said.

FÁS Employment Services in Dublin West and Kildare region have been actively involved in the recruitment of staff for the Liffey Valley Shopping complex. A team of 5 placement officers was assigned to the project working from a temporary site office and from the local FÁS offices in Clondalkin and Ballyfermot. Over 2,200 enquiries regarding employment in the Liffey Valley complex were dealt with. Almost 1,500 people attended for screening interviews at FÁS Offices and the majority of these were put forward for employment in the centre or referred for training to FÁS external training courses in the retail area.

To-date over 300 contracts of employment have been issued by such tenants as Marks and Spencer, Boots and C and A, with many other offers of employment yet to be finalised. Most of the smaller tenants are currently organising interview schedules and recruitment is ongoing.