Jobs taskforce ‘defunct’ after one meeting

A TASKFORCE set up last January to tackle spiralling unemployment, and which has only met once, has no plans to meet again and is essentially “defunct”, it has emerged.

Last month, the Irish Examiner revealed the high-level group on labour market issues, chaired by Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s department, had met only once since it was set up last January.

However, with the latest CSO data showing that the unemployment rate has almost trebled from 4.6% to 12.7% in just two years, it appears the work of the taskforce is now done after just one meeting.

A spokesperson from the Department of the Taoiseach confirmed there were “no further meetings” planned and that the taskforce was “defunct essentially”.

However, the spokesperson said the work of the taskforce would be brought forward by the cabinet committee on economic renewal, echoing comments made in the Dáil by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Mr Cowen, when defending the fact that the group had only met on only one occasion.

Initially, there seemed to be some confusion as to which department should handle queries concerning the next meeting of the high level group.

The Department of the Taoiseach said it was the under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

However, this was later reversed before a spokesperson from Mr Cowen’s department issued a statement to the Irish Examiner.

It is understood that disagreements between the Government and the main social partners is at the root of the taskforce’s failure to meet on more than one occasion.

A separate Freedom of Information request to Mr Cowen’s department confirmed that no memos, briefing papers or any other paperwork was prepared for the Taoiseach on foot of the group’s one and only meeting.

Head of policy with the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU), Bríd O’Brien, herself a member of the group, said she had received no contact from the Government concerning the group. “No, there have been no meetings or contact. It should be up and running because there is so much to be done right across the board.

“It’s such a shame because we could be sitting down and thrashing the issues out. As a partnership mechanism, it’s not up and running and clearly it’s not working,” she said.

Ms O’Brien said the unemployment crisis could not be solved by members of the cabinet alone and said all stakeholders needed to come together.

“No one Government department, politician or agency has the answer to the unemployment problem. That’s why we all need to come together on this group and thrash it out.

“Doing piecemeal stuff simply won’t resolve this. We need a jobs strategy and a vision.

“We hear about the vision for a ‘smart economy’ but the smart economy isn’t for everybody.

“What will everybody else do? That’s all the Government are saying but that’s not going to work for everybody.”