ONLY one in eight unemployed people who participated in FAS training courses in 1995 had been out of work for more than three years and only 16 per cent of participants on industrial training programmes had been out of work for more than a year. According to FAS figures, however, the long term unemployed now constitute half of those on the live register.
The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed has criticised the State training agency for not devoting more resources to helping the long term unemployed.
The chairman of the organisation, Mr Paul Billings, says that figures released by FAS this week show the long term unemployed are being "crowded out" of the labour market.
Crowding out is due to a number of factors, according to Mr Billings. "Employers usually take the most qualified candidate, even if the job does not require a high level of skills. Co ordinators for training and employment schemes often pick the most able, so as to meet their placement targets.
"Often the lack of information and the lack of outreach services mean that the long term unemployed are not even aware of the opportunities offered by programmes and schemes.
"Long periods of such exclusion can lead people to become discouraged and give up seeking new job opportunities." He says that "if we are to successfully eliminate crowding out in labour market programmes, it is vital to use a stringent criteria, allowing access to those who suffer from exclusion."