Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1994, published 81st ILC session (1994)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Ireland (Ratification: 1967)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1992 and the useful documents attached to the report. It also refers to OECD studies and notes that total employment stopped increasing during the above period. The growth in the active population and the reversal of migratory flows have resulted in a substantial increase in the unemployment rate since 1990. The OECD's standardized unemployment rate, which is determined on the basis of a survey of the active population, was 13.7 per cent in 1990 and rose to 15.6 per cent in 1991 and nearly 17 per cent in 1992. Registered unemployment, determined on the basis of the statistics of the employment services, transmitted by the Government, rose from 16.5 per cent in 1990 to more than 21 per cent at the end of the period. Furthermore, there is a high rate of long-term unemployment (60.7 per cent of total unemployment in 1990), which particularly affects young persons. Both on the grounds of the level of unemployment and its structural characteristics, the employment situation remains a matter of great concern. It is also striking to note that this situation has developed in a context of relatively high economic growth (around double the average for OECD countries). The Committee would be grateful if the Government would make an analysis of this phenemonon of growth without employment and would describe the relationship between employment objectives and other economic and social objectives (Article 1 of the Convention). See point 4 below.

2. The Government states in its report that its employment policy is intended to ensure the economic stability which is needed for the growth of production and employment, particularly by seeking a consensus on income developments and undertaking structural reform with a view to improving competitiveness. It considers that the success of this approach has been seen in the slow but sustained growth in industry and services and the favourable export performance, even during a period of world recession. The Government states in this respect that the objective of creating 20,000 additional jobs per year set out in the Programme for National Recovery, 1987-90, was fully attained and was included once again in the new Programme for Economic and Social Progress (PESP), for the period 1991-93. The Committee notes with interest that this Programme, which was agreed upon by the Government and the social partners in January 1991, sets as its major objectives economic growth and raising the standard of living, a substantial growth of employment and combating long-term unemployment. It notes that unemployment is identified as the principal problem in the country by all of those responsible for economic policy and that a tripartite committee has been set up to monitor the implementation of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply information on the achievement of the employment objectives of the above Programme, with an indication of the particular difficulties which have been encountered in attaining them and the extent to which they have been overcome.

3. The Government emphasizes that vocational training is an integral component of its employment policy and supplies information on the implementation and results of special employment and training programmes, particularly in favour of young persons, women and the long-term unemployed. The Committee notes in this respect that the Report of the Industrial Policy Review Group (the Culliton Report) concluded that the system of training for work and at work is inadequate for the needs of the economy and made recommendations relating in particular to the organization of the Training and Employment Authority (FAS) and the allocation of its resources. The Committee requests the Government to state in its next report the measures which have been taken or are envisaged following these recommendations with a view to ensuring greater coordination of education and training policies with prospective employment opportunities.

4. Finally, the Committee notes that a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Employment was recently established to examine all aspects of economic and social policy which have a bearing on employment creation and the alleviation of unemployment, including the effects on employment of the tax system, industrial incentives and the social protection system. It would be grateful if the Government would supply information on the recommendations made by this Committee and the effect given to them.