Measures Announced To Help The Unemployed In Ireland

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D., announced a number of measures to help those who are unemployed last Thursday.

Describing the measures, the Tánaiste said: "The Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) and FÁS are working closely together to respond quickly to the rise in unemployment.

"In particular, FÁS' Employment Services together with Local Employment Services are putting in place measures designed to provide increased capacity for the rise in referrals from the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the increased number of unemployed seeking job search assistance voluntarily.

"These measures include direct referrals from DSFA to the Partnership-run Local Employment Services and the redeployment of staff to the employment services area.

"The implementation of these measures will increase capacity from 6,500 per month to 12,250 per month.

"FÁS will provide an additional 51,000 places over the 27,000 previously planned in 2009 under the Bridging Foundation Training, Specific Skills Training and Traineeships Programmes.

"These programmes will provide short training courses for job-changers or those who are recently unemployed.

"An examination is underway to review the outputs of the Community Training Centres Training and Local Training Initiatives which provide training to early school leavers and longer-term unemployed respectively".

The Tánaiste added that efforts will continue to be be made to create additional capacity within current resources and that this could involve the development of new programmes.

With this in mind, she announced that the Government will bring forward further measures to ensure that those on the live register receive the appropriate training and upskilling so as to be in a position to contribute to the economy when the upturn occurs.