Burke seeks support for work placement schemes proposal

Fine Gael councillor Peter Burke has this week called on both government and trade unions to support his proposal to introduce a new work-placement and training programme, "in order to gainfully engage the unemployed in local projects such as environmental improvement works".Speaking earlier this week, Cllr. Burke said: "Unemployment remains Ireland's biggest single challenge. The skills of a whole well-educated generation are being lost through unemployment."I want to see these skills being put to work for the benefit of our community, our county and our economy. If we are paying people social welfare then we should try to get something back, in particular from those who want to engage again in work."That's why I've been calling on the government to examine the feasibility of introducing appropriate work-placement/training programme in our country.It is now critical that bureaucratic blockages at government level, such as red-tape surrounding the public service recruitment embargo, are not allowed to prevent the establishment of constructive work-placement schemes."