asked the Minister for Labour the details of the grant assistance available from the EEC Social Fund for training schemes for women aged over 35 years wishing to return to work; the number of applications for such assistance made by this country; and the total assistance received to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Training Schemes for Women.
1.
The Deputy may be referring to a provision in the Social Fund Regulations relating to women over 35 years which was discontinued at the end of 1977. This provision was discontinued largely because member states did not find it practicable to set up special programmes for women in this age group. There is at present no special area of fund intervention nor any separate budgetary provisions for programmes relating to women over 35 years. However, a new intervention for women was introduced from 1 January 1978 which provides for assistance for training or retraining of women of 25 years of age or over who wish to pursue an occupation for the first time or after a long absence or who may have lost their jobs.
No applications for fund assistance specifically related to women over 35 years were submitted by Ireland in the period up to the end of 1977. We were however in a position to receive fund assistance for all our major training programmes which were open to both men and women. In each of the years 1973-1977 women over 35 years were included in applications for fund assistance submitted by AnCO in respect of its adult training programmes. The total number of women over 35 years covered by the 1973-1977 applications concerned was 750. Women over 35 years were, of course, also included in programmes promoted by other bodies which received fund assistance, but the numbers involved are not available.