asked the Minister for Labour to indicate the various EEC financial schemes that exist for the promotion of employment among young people and, if he has any plans to extend such schemes.
Written Answers. - EEC Employment Schemes.
256.
The European Social Fund provides assistance for a wide variety of programmes related to employment, mainly of a vocational training nature, from which young people have benefited considerably. In addition, however, the fund provides assistance for specific programmes for young people in two general areas of vocational training and of employment promotion.
The provision governing fund assistance for measures of a vocational training nature has been in operation since 1975, having been introduced under a Council Decision of 22 July 1975, and continued by a Council Decision of 20 December 1977. The relevant decision covers young people under 25 years who are unemployed or seeking employment, with priority being given to young people seeking employment for the first time.
In accordance with that decision, fund assistance has been obtained for a number of Irish programmes relating to young people as follows:
AnCO Community Youth Training Programme; AnCO Career Training Programme;
Apprentice Training Programme, administered by AnCO and the Department of Education; Programmes organised by various vocational education committees in regional technical colleges, concerned with training in middle level technician and secretarial skills; Pre-employment courses promoted by the Department of Education; and An apprentice re-employment programme administered by the Department of Labour.
The Social Fund aids for promotion of employment for young people are relatively new, having been introduced in accordance with a Council Decision of 18 December 1978, and with effect only from 1 January 1979. They cover certain job creation measures in both the public and private sectors, the main exception being that creation of jobs in central government administrations cannot be subvented. The European Commission has drawn up draft guidelines for the administration of the new fund aids, but until these guidelines are settled in final form, individual applications for fund assistance relating to programmes of employment promotion cannot be decided on. It is expected that applications will be considered by the advisory European Social Fund committee early in July and that grants in respect of individual applications will be approved by the Commission shortly afterwards.
Pending the settlement of the guidelines and the consideration of individual applications, the extent of eligibility for fund assistance of Irish schemes cannot be indicated. However, it is hoped that a number of schemes in respect of which applications have been or are being submitted to the Commission will qualify for fund assistance under the new aids:
Environmental improvement scheme, administered by the Department of the Environment;
Temporary youth employment scheme, administered by the Department of Education;
Employment incentive scheme; and Work experience programme, both administered by the Department of Labour.
The question of extension of existing Irish schemes and the introduction of new schemes relating to the promotion of employment for young people which might qualify for Social Fund assistance will be kept under consideration, particularly in the light of experience with current applications for aid and the operation of the guidelines which will be settled by the Commission.