asked the Minister for Labour the total amount available from the EEC Social Fund in the current year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Social Fund.
3.
The total amount provided for the European Social Fund in the budget of the European Communities for 1976 is 441 million units of account or £183.75 million.
Could I ask the Minister how much of this money is available to Ireland?
It is not possible at this stage to give any reliable estimate of the total amount of assistance we will get in the current year. As the Deputy knows, in operation some of the sums approved of in the preceding year are not given until the following year. There is a run-over between years in terms of payment of funds. For the Deputy's information I could say, reasonably I suppose, that the amount we will get in the year 1976 from the fund will continue the same upward increase observable for the past three years. For example, the figure for 1973 was £4.1 million; for 1974 it was £7 million; and for 1975 it was £9.4 million. Therefore an increase of that order could be calculated for the present year also but it is not possible to give the figure in a reliable form at this stage.
Surely the Department have an estimate of the figure at this stage and can let us know at least what we might expect by way of increase on last year's figure.
The most honest thing I can say at this point is that the increase would be substantial.
Can the Minister be a little more specific?
I have given the Deputy as much information as possible.