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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jun 1980

Vol. 322 No. 9

Written Answers. - Employment Guarantee Fund.

65.

asked the Minister for Finance if he will arrange to have the administration of the Employment Guarantee Fund by the Tripartite Committee on Employment brought within the field of scrutiny of the Joint Committee on State-Sponsored Bodies; and, if not, how he proposes that the operations of the Committee in dispensing funds, part of which are provided by the State, should be made subject to inspection by the Members of Dáil Éireann.

The Tripartite Standing Committee on Employment is responsible under the national understanding for determining the content and monitoring the implementation of a special £20 million employment programme to make good a shortfall of up to 5,000 jobs on the employment target for last year. As the committee are neither a public sector entity nor established under statute, I do not consider it appropriate that they should be subject to formal review by the Oireachtas in the manner suggested by the Deputy. The criteria approved by the tripartite committee for the determination of the special employment, programme were, however, brought to the attention of the Oireachtas during the passage of the Employment Guarantee Fund Act, 1980, earlier this year.

Dáil approval must be obtained for payment of the State's contribution of £10 million to the Employment Guarantee Fund. Last year the Dáil approved an additional Estimate for £3 million for this purpose. A further £7 million has been provided for in the estimates for the current financial year. In addition, section 8 of the Employment Guarantee Fund Act, 1980, provides for the preparation of each year of an account of the transactions of the Employment Guarantee Fund, the audit of this account by the Comptroller and Auditor General and its presentation to each House of the Oireachtas.

I consider that these arrangements ensure satisfactory financial accountability to Dáil Éireann for the State contribution to the Employment Guarantee Fund.

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