Closure of Jervis Street Fás training centre a disaster for the unemployed

10 February 2009

by Cllr Joe Costello

The level of unemployment has risen to 327,000 with the Taoiseach estimating an all time record of 400,000 jobless by the end of the year.

The key policy of the Government should be to ensure that those who do become unemployed do not fall into long-term unemployment. To avoid this it is essential that the Government put in place support service such as back to education, training and reskilling facilities for the unemployed.

It seems unthinkable then that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment should be closing down the training facilities in the Jervis Street Fás Centre. Approximately 250 training places will be lost depriving the entire Northside of Dublin of Fás training facilities.

Virtually all the training staff have been moved out of Jervis Street. The 'Connections' class for the recently unemployed will finish at the end of this week. The last photography class finishes next month. All the computer, IT and retail classes are closed down and the premises are virtually idle.

€2.5 million has been spent on the refitting of D'Olier Street. A new employment service will be offered in the old Peats site on Parnell Street. But these are merely employment offices. There are no replacement training services.

In these exceptional times of recession the expansion of training facilities should be a priority. It is unconscionable that the existing services should be closed down when they are most needed.