Vol. 512 No. 1
126 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the Department responsible for the EU NOW programme; and if information on future availability of funds under this programme will be clarified in view of concerns among relevant groups and information provided to them at a recent day conference in Dublin. [25665/99]
The new opportunities for women programme, NOW, is a strand of the EMPLOYMENT community initiative which is funded by the European Social Fund and is administered by my Department. The total investment in 71 NOW projects since 1995 will amount to 20.3 million ecu, £15 million approximately, in European Social Funds and 2.1 million ecu, £1.6 million approximately, in European regional development funds. Under the terms of the EU initiative, funds will cease to be committed at the end of 1999 and final payment will take place during 2000.
My Department has recently allocated a tranche of funds received from the European Commission to the EMPLOYMENT projects. This should relieve any urgent liquidity problems experienced by some promoters, particularly voluntary and community groups. My Department has made a further claim to the European Commission for the outstanding amounts and we expect to receive such funding early in the new year. We will continue to vigorously pursue the European Commission in relation to all outstanding moneys. Consultations are also taking place between my Department and officials in the Department of Finance on the possibility of alternative financing arrangements to bridge any shortfalls in commission funding in the future.
