DEMOCRATIC Left began its election campaign yesterday by issuing a policy document aimed at tackling long-term unemployment through investment incentives and improved work schemes in selected "geographical clusters" in urban areas.
These areas, with unacceptably high long-term unemployment, had not benefited from the 1,000 jobs a week generated by the out-going Government, although the country was facing a skills shortage, the Minister for Social Welfare and party leader, Mr De Rossa, said.
The document was an indication of the party's belief that "a solution to the problem of long-term unemployment is the key social and economic challenge facing the next government".
He denied that because 58 per cent of those without a job were long-term unemployed it reflected the failure of a socialist party in government.
The document, Unemployment - Breaking The Cycle, includes proposals to expand employment schemes, notably the Local Employment Service; create jobs through "municipalisation" in communities, introduce tax designation and financial incentives with a social benefit aim, and establish a minister of state to deal with long-term unemployment.
A key element would be "pay for the job", said the Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Pat Rabbitte.
The measures would be under-pinned by the party's backing of a minimum legal wage - at least two thirds of the average industrial wage or the equivalent of £5 an hour, Mr De Rossa said.
Municipalisation would involve the local service having a central hole in seeing initiatives through and in bridging the long-term unemployed with the private sector.
