Jobs:

Ireland is currently experiencing an employment crisis. We as a country need to do everything possible to get Ireland working again.

The big challenge for Ireland is to develop a strategy that will allow job growth and sustainable enterprise. Job creation is central to any recovery strategy.

We need new graduate and apprentice internship scheme, work placement programmes and further education opportunities for our young unemployed providing an additional 60,000 places across a range of schemes and initiatives. We must provide a range of initiatives to increase access to further higher level education for the unemployed.

Literacy and basic workplace skills must be made a national priority, with literacy training incorporated into wider variety of further education and training.

A new National Employment and Entitlements Service must be established so that all employment and benefit support services will be integrated in a single delivery unit managed by the Department of Social Protection. This integrated service would provide a ‘one stop shop’ for people seeking to establish their benefit entitlements; looking for a job; and seeking advice about their training options.

It will process citizen entitlements such as supplementary welfare allowances, higher education grants and welfare allowances. It will manage as much as possible means testing for State entitlements. It will also be responsible for employment referral and training supports provided by FÁS. This service will offer users a higher level of personalised employment counselling, with more frequent face-to-face interviews. Those on the live register who are identified as being most at risk of long-term unemployment will receive priority treatment for more intensive support. It will ensure active case management for people in need of assistance.