asked the Minister for Labour the number of applications submitted to the Commission of the EEC for assistance out of the Social Fund in 1973; the amount of money sought in these applications; and the outcome.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Social Fund.
12.
The number of applications submitted to the EEC Commission for assistance from the European Social Fund in 1973 was 22.
The total amount of fund assistance sought in these applications was £5,250,000 in round figures.
We expect to receive approximately £4,250,000.
Would the Minister accept that, with the exception of the amount sought by the Department of Education in respect of the regional colleges' general re-training programme, by and large the amounts sought were granted?
Yes. We are in the fortunate position that, perhaps, we have done better than other applicant countries in that we obtained the optimum results from the applications we made.
Would the Minister not agree that is an indication of great scope for increasing the amount of the applications we submit?
Either one could say that or could say equally that we had been accurate in the kind of requests we had drawn up and that the applications we made were designed so as to derive the maximum benefits.
Having regard to the fact that Germany received something of the order of 34,000,501 units of account from the old social fund in 1973, would the Minister not acknowledge that there is a greater urgency for the Government to promote these fields effectively and properly to the people concerned?
The Deputy need not worry. This Government will extract every possible benefit from any of the agencies of the European Community, as we are doing in the case of the Social Fund.
It is because I was worried that the Government were not extracting every possible benefit that I put down the question.
It is informative for the Deputy and the House and it is a good thing for the Opposition. Any reasonable man would expect the Opposition to put down such questions.
Would the Minister tell us if, in respect of the IDA——
I have allowed the Deputy a considerable number of supplementary questions.
The Ceann Comhairle will appreciate the importance of the questions. In respect of the IDA textile retraining applications under article 4, would the Minister inform the House why the amounts sought for 1974-75 are less than the amounts granted for 1973?
The group mainly involved in promoting the advantages of the fund to industry are the Confederation of Irish Industry. They have expressed themselves satisfied with the amount of cash and the use we are making of the fund so far. I am not aware of any of the interests —in the State or in industry—who are dissatisfied but the Deputy may rest assured that no stone will be left unturned in seeing that every unit of account we can get from the fund will be taken by the Government.
My concern is that not enough people have been made aware of the benefits.
As I explained to the Deputy, the group dealing with industrial interests are the Confederation of Irish Industry. They are the agency mainly involved in this kind of work, to assure industrialists of what they may take from the fund. The Deputy is aware that there must be a State subvention in any project that is put before the fund. The CII express themselves quite happy with the work and the information available.
The Minister's Department and the Department of Education are involved.
All Departments are involved.
Would the Minister agree there is not enough talk about allotting some part of the Social Fund to rural areas? There has been much talk about the Confederation of Irish Industry but would the Minister agree that the money is relevant also to a purely rural, non-industrial situation?
In my view industrial development does not simply relate to urban needs; it is obviously industrial development around the country on a regional pattern. That is the intention of the Government in seeking money from the Social Fund.
Would the Minister agree that agriculture at the small farming level is an industry?
I endorse the anxiety of the Deputies opposite to ensure that the fund is fully utilised. We shall continue to see that it is utilised to the full. I may add that a recent issue of one of the European bulletins referred to the substantial backing this Government received from the fund by contrast with other member countries.
It was on the basis of the work done by the previous Government. We are anxious to see that it is followed up.