COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 10, 2010

QUESTION NO. 2

QUESTION: Councillor S. Crowe

To ask the Manager in view of crisis facing the growing number of unemployed in the County and the inability of young apprentices to finish their trades will the Manager agree to review the Tallaght Integrated Area Plan model for Employment and Training and how this might be improved, the lesson learned and formerly adopted as a strategy and replicated in the County in future area plans?

REPLY:

Employment and Training

The aim of the IAP strategy for Employment and Training in Tallaght was to enhance and maximise the prospect of employability and training of local people and in particular young people and the long term unemployed, with the new developments that were being built as part of the Urban Renewal Integrated Area Plan. The scheme was operated by Tallaght Local Employment Service Network (a project of the Dodder Valley Partnership) in conjunction South Dublin County Council.

In total there were 20 projects. A two-stage certification process was operated for developers and investors.  The first stage was the commitment stage whereby Tallaght Local Employment Service Network (Obair) engaged with developers to ascertain training and employment opportunities for both the construction and operational phases and the second was the provision of the training, posts, apprenticeships etc. The final aspect was the sign off between the developer and TLESN. It was understood that South Dublin County Council would not issue the Certificate of Consistency with the IAP unless the developer had cooperated with the LESN.

The LESN saw the achievements of the scheme in a very positive light, in particular the number of young people (who were mainly early school leavers) employed and gaining apprenticeships, the up-skilling of employees, the strengthening of links with employers, the ongoing job opportunities. The scheme has resulted in a stronger local economy and in a better quality of life for those employed. 

There is a major difficulty however in replicating the IAP strategy for Employment and Training in Tallaght as it was tied into the national Urban Renewal Scheme and the availability of tax incentives. South Dublin County Council was able to specify the conditions under which the tax incentives were available on the basis of the Guidelines for Integrated Area Plan (DoE, 1997) and this allowed the employment and training aspects to be included as a prerequisite. There is no such provision under the Planning and Development Acts.