Youth employment levy allocations
The Minister outlined 1987 allocations and expected activity, noting figures could change. Birmingham questioned the late announcement and reduced provision, especially for youth self-employment; Ahern said allocations reflected available funding and actual scheme uptake, with scope to review if uptake improved.
asked the Minister for Labour the implications for each of the manpower and training agencies of the decisions taken by the Government with regard to the allocation of the youth employment levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Comment on this
The 1987 allocations from the youth employment levy to the various Manpower agencies is as follows:
These allocations, together with the European Social Fund assistance they generate, will enable the Manpower agencies to provide the following levels of activity in 1987:
Projected training and employment man years for 1987:
The Deputy will appreciate, however, that these figures are subject to change in the light of developments, including the budgetary or ESF position.
Comment on this
Would the Minister confirm that this is the first occasion on which the allocations have been made public? Would he accept that this is rather late in the day even allowing for the unusual circumstances of the general election and so on? Would he also confirm that the variations decided on by this Government as against what was proposed in January mean that average participation in a number of schemes will be down, in particular in the programmes run in conjunction with ACOT, in team work, the enterprise allowance scheme and a range of programmes which were run by the Youth Employment Agency? Does he not regard that as alarming?
Comment on this
First, the figures have been calculated following the budget introduced on 31 March, although normally these figures would be made out late in January after the budget. If the figures are slightly down under some of the headings, that is because they are in line with the allocation provided under the levy, the European Social Fund and Exchequer funding. The figure provided in this budget was exactly the same as that in the provisional budget.
Comment on this
Is the Minister aware of the concern felt in the manpower area generally about what seems to be a reduced emphasis on the question of self employment for young people? That is to be found in the reduced provision for the enterprise allowance scheme and what is seen as a withdrawal of support from the self employment programme for young people.
Comment on this
Throughout last year the take up expected in the estimated figure for the enterprise allowance scheme and the employment incentive scheme was less than envisaged. The figure is now in line with the take up for last year and if there was an improvement the figures could be looked at again but the figures produced here are based on reality.