Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1984 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities (4th Committee) > Report No. 04 - Community Employment Policy

APPENDIX 4

Extract from Report of Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure

(31 May 1984)¹

7 VIEWS OF THE COMMITTEE

7.1 The Committee was concerned to note the evidence of overlap and duplication in the services provided for training, recruitment and job creation. What was particularly disturbing was that, to date, no serious efforts had been made to rationalise these services or to adapt them to the needs of the users who, in many cases, are the most vulnerable members of society in Ireland. This aspect was unacceptable and could not be justified, especially given the heavy demands on the Exchequer in other areas.

7.2 The Committee noted the following areas where there is overlap and urgent need for rationalisation.

(1)Unemployed persons are registered with the Department of Social Welfare. All those under 25 years of age are automatically referred to the Department of Labour’s National Manpower Service while those over 25 are advised to register with the NMS. This requires the manual compilation of two separate registers and separate interviews.

(2)An Comhairle Oiliúna (AnCO) recruits people for training and employment while the NMS also selects people for employment.

(3)AnCO organises pre-training courses while the Department of Education, through the Vocational Education Committees, organises pre-employment courses. Both bodies issue certificates to successful applicants and this may be a source of confusion for employers and dilute the value of such certificates.

(4)There is a lack of clarity as to demarcation between the Department of Labour and the Youth Employment Agency, particularly in regard to policy on the Youth Employment Levy.

(5)The role and functions of the National Manpower Service have not been re-assessed in the light of changed economic circumstances since the establishment of the NMS in the 1970’s, at a time when there were expectations of full employment.

(6)There is a lack of co-ordination between the Civil Service Commission and the other agencies concerned with training/recruitment of young people.

7.3 The Committee felt that the Department of Labour (which has overall responsibility for manpower/training policy), in consultation with the Department of Education, should have been undertaking regular reviews of the services in question with a view to rationalising programmes and eliminating duplication. The Department of the Public Service, which deals with structures and reform in the public service, must bear some responsibility for not monitoring developments to date and taking action to eliminate areas of duplication and overlap between the Departments and agencies involved. The Committee is glad to note that the Minister of State at the Department of Labour and the Department of Education is now assessing the situation and looks forward to an early improvement in this area.

Department of Social Welfare

7.4 The Committee was informed that there are about 30,000 movements on and off the Live Register each month. The Department of Social Welfare notifies the National Manpower Service in the case of all those on the Live Register who are under 25. Those under 25 years of age are advised to register with the NMS. About 60 per cent of the latter do so. Where persons refuse offers of employment the NMS notifies the Department of Social Welfare and unemployment payments may be disallowed as a result. In 1982, 2,200 reports were made which resulted in 350 people being disallowed or ceased signing — this involved savings of £300,000 approximately. In 1983 about 10,400 were reported.

7.5 The question of abuse of the social welfare system by persons who are actually working is a cause of concern to the Committee. The Committee notes that in 1983, 1,296 cases were detected on unemployment benefit, involving £145,000 and 464 cases on unemployment assistance involving £114,000.

7.6 The Committee is of the opinion

(i)that a rapid change to a computerised system compatible with the National Manpower Service would lead to a more effective link between the two Departments and

(ii)that detection rates of abuse of the Social Welfare system would improve as a result.

Department of Education

7.7 The Committee was informed that the appointment of Mr. George Birmingham T. D. as Minister of State at the Department of Education and the Department of Labour was designed to co-ordinate services and eliminate duplication between the various agencies. The Irish Vocational Education Association expressed concern at the level of duplication and held the view that the education system was the appropriate source for the provision of essential programmes at present being undertaken by other agencies, particularly in the 15-18 years age group.

7.8 It was noted that the Vocational Education Committees provide courses for 10,000 people each year — basically vocational skills type programmes and that the Department of Education was satisfied that it could expand the number of such courses. The Vocational Education Act, 1930, gives the VEC’s specific statutory responsibility for training in those areas.

7.9 The Committee recognises the importance of vocational education in providing people with both the academic and vocational skills necessary for employment. In particular, the Committee welcomes the ability of the VECs to respond to technical and technological change through the Regional Technical Colleges and the Colleges of Technology. The other third level institutions, including the National Institutions of Higher Education, also play an important role in training for employment. The Committee would hope that close liaison between the institutions would avoid overlap of courses leading to a waste of scarce resources.

7.10 The Committee’s opinion was that the Vocational Education sector, because of what amounted to keen competition from AnCO and the Youth Employment Agency, had lost ground in recent years in fulfilling its role as effectively as it might. This was found to be partly due to the high level of funding of those two agencies but also to some extent because of their dynamism and the fact that they have been concentrating on particular client groups — the Vocational Education Committees deal with a very wide range of activities at second and third level as well as adult education. The Irish Vocational Education Association, in consultation with the Department of Education, should, therefore, re-assess the range of vocational education courses to see to what extent priority could be given to courses more directly related to employment opportunities.

¹ P1 2437.