Oireachtas

Unemployment strategy comes under criticism at social forum

THE Government's strategy on unemployment came under strong criticism at the National Economic and Social Forum yesterday

By PADRAIG YEATES
Fri Jan 26 1996 - 00:00

THE Government's strategy on unemployment came under strong criticism at the National Economic and Social Forum yesterday. Members said it discriminated against women, risked creating a low wage economy and would further alienate young people in disadvantaged areas.

The forum, which represents all the social partners, including the voluntary and community sectors, was discussing the report of the Task Force on Unemployment. Several of the task force recommendations were implemented in the Budget.

The most sustained attack came from representatives of the National Women's Council and Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Ms Ursula Barry of the council said the decision to ensure more places on community employment schemes went to people over 35 who had been on the live register for more than three years would adversely affect women. They comprised only 13 per cent of unemployed people in this category. Two thirds of all women on community schemes had been out of work for less than a year.

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Ms Barry suggested that access to these schemes should be based on the length of time people have been dependent on some form of social welfare, or that their spouse had been signing on. Mr Manus O'Riordan, representing ICTU, supported Ms Barry.

Mr O'Riordan said the proposal 10 allow "spouse swaps", which allowed spouses of unemployed people to apply for jobs, had failed. The take up rate was only 2.5 per cent because it meant one spouse had to accept being on the unemployed "scrap heap".

National Youth Council representative Mr Gearoid O Maoilmhicil expressed concern that an element of compulsion in training, education and counselling courses for the young unemployed could further alienate them.

The Fianna Fail deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, criticised the Budget provision for an employer's subsidy. The £1 million set aside would provide fewer than 500 jobs, not 5,000 as was claimed. While it was said that the balance of funding would come from savings on social welfare, this had not been spelt out. Even if the subsidy provided more jobs, "it would promote a low pay regime.

The chairwoman of the task force, Ms Julie O'Neill, an assistant secretary at the, office of the Tanaiste, said the brief of the task farce was to target the problems of the long term unemployed. If resources were dispersed to help everyone, the target group would be no better off.