Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Ireland (Ratification: 1969)

Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention. Organization of the public employment service. The Government indicates that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, public employment services were periodically suspended and that remote access to employment services were maintained through a self-referral system. The Government reports that, since 2022, full in-person services have resumed, with a focus on expanding a blended in-person and online service model. The Government also indicates that, in January 2022, following a comprehensive review, a new management framework was introduced with a single board member overseeing all employment services. The Government further indicates that one of the measures implemented under the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy (Ireland employment strategy) is the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP), designed to help individuals gain relevant work skills through six-month placements in host organizations. The Government reports that 665 persons have participated in the WPEP, with a 45 per cent employment progression rate among those who have completed the programme. The Government indicates that the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy also launched a “Case Officer/Job Coach” model, dividing the tasks between Case Officers (now called Employment Personal Advisers) and Job Coaches who provide personalized employment support to jobseekers. The Government indicates that another measure under the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy is the expansion of the public employment services delivered through Intreo (a service launched in 2012 which aims at providing a single point of contact for all employment and income supports and services) in some areas where there was no local employment services, with the introduction of the new Intreo Partners model, the Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service, and the Intreo Partners National Employment Service. The Government adds that, since July 2022, it has initiated proactive outreach to young people receiving disability allowance, promoting awareness of Intreo services and suggesting that they meet with an Employment Personal Adviser. The Committee however notes that the mid-term review of the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy, published in May 2024, concludes that while Ireland has experienced a remarkable improvement in labour market performance, specific categories of workers like persons with disabilities, lone parents, members of the Travellers and Roma communities and migrants remain underrepresented. The mid-term Review states that the public employment service must therefore continue to support a diverse range of groups in accessing employment opportunities and emphasizes the need for strong cooperation with employers, unions and NGOs, alongside sufficient resource allocation in this regard. The Committee notes that, following the mid-term review, an updated Pathways to work 2021-2025 strategy with new and revised commitments and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) was published which focuses on addressing: (i) labour and skills shortages; (ii) green and digital transition; and (iii) the need to increase participation rates for disadvantaged groups. The Committee refers to its 2024 comment on the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and requests the Government to continue to provide updated and detailed information on the measures carried out by the public employment service for the achievement and maintenance of full, productive employment and decent work, particularly for disadvantaged categories of workers, including women, persons with disabilities, migrants and the Travellers and Roma communities.

Article 4. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy was developed following consultation with key stakeholders nationwide, including employers, trade unions and civil society organisations. The Committee notes with interest that the Labour Market Advisory Council (LMAC), which includes representatives from employers, trade unions and civil society bodies, oversees the delivery of the Pathways to Work strategy 2021–2025. An Employer Engagement Sub-group provides advice and support to the LMAC on how best to engage with the needs of employers in a manner which supports the objective of reducing unemployment and achieving decent work for all. Further, a public consultation was carried out in 2023, with 21 submissions received including from employer, trade union and civil society groups, which informed the development of the mid-term review of the Pathways to Work 2021–2025 strategy. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide detailed and updated information on the manner in which employers’ and workers’ organizations are consulted in relation to the development and implementation of employment service measures under the Convention.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Government indicates that there are 64 Intreo Centres located throughout the Country and that a list as well as a map of these Centres, with their associated local Branch Offices, may be found online (at www.gov.ie/Intreo). The Government further indicates that, in 2022, the Irish Government’s Public Employment Portal advertised 110,900 job vacancies, both on the national (JobsIreland.ie) and on the European (eures.europa.eu) portals. The Government does not provide information on the number of applications for employment received or the number of persons placed in employment by the public employment services and reiterates that the number of positions filled as a result of advertising on the Government’s Public Employment Portal is not known, given that in many cases employers use more than one channel to advertise vacancies. The Committee however considers that it is beneficial to implement a tracking mechanism of the number of applications for employment received and the number of persons placed in employment to better appreciate the effectiveness of the public employment services and improve if need be its services. In view of the above, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated practical information on the application of the Convention, including up-to-date information on the number and location of public employment offices operating in the country. The Committee also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the impact of the measures taken to promote full, productive and decent work, including statistical data on the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified, and the number of persons placed in employment by the public employment offices.