asked the Minister for Labour the broad provisions and implications for Ireland of EEC Commission proposal C. 127, 28.12, 1971 in relation to administrative and financial procedures for the European Social Fund; the present status of this proposal; and the action taken by the Government in relation to it.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - European Social Fund.
137.
The EEC Commission proposal to which the Deputy refers was listed in the edition of the Official Journal of the European Communities, No. C. 127 dated 28th December, 1971. The proposal was subsequently adopted by the Council as Regulation No. 858/72 on 24th April, 1972. This regulation provides for the conditions under which applications for aid from the European Social Fund will be addressed to the commission and the conditions under which decisions to approve or reject such applications will be notified. The regulation also provides for the manner in which payments will be made from the fund, for supervisory checks on expenditure financed by the fund and for annual reports by the commission to the Council on the activities of the fund together with the estimated evolution of expenditure. Essentially, therefore, the regulation is a procedural document and we shall, of course, follow the procedure laid down as from our entry to the Community in January next.