asked the Minister for the Environment the estimated expenditure on environmental works schemes in 1981; the number of young people on such schemes; and the duration of such employment.
Written Answers. - Environmental Works Schemes.
569.
The total allocations to local authorities under the Environmental Improvement Schemes programme in 1981 amounted to £2,986,000 — estimated to give 450 man years employment. Of this amount, £986,000 was provided in my Department's Vote for 1981 and a further sum of £2 million was made available to the programme in October 1981 from the Employment Guarantee Fund for expenditure on schemes up to 31 March 1982.
It is not possible at this stage to estimate expenditure under the programme to the end of 1981 or to give details of the employment. In the selection and execution of works under the programme local authorities are required to comply with certain guidelines one of which is that at least three out of every four persons employed are young persons under 25 years of age.