asked the Minister for Labour the decision which the Teamwork Monitoring Committee reached on the proposals from the Network for Jobs Group at the June and September 1986, meetings respectively; if he will confirm that at no stage did the monitoring committee request that five separate applications on each project be supplied in order to satisfy themselves that the work involved in each project was appropriate for Teamwork aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Network for Jobs Group.
263.
An application for assistance under the teamwork scheme was submitted by the organisation "Network for Jobs" in April 1986. Because of the restrictions on Teamwork funds at the time, it was not possible to consider this application.
Following a meeting between representatives of the organisation and the Minister of State at my Department in May 1986 a further application was received from "Network for Jobs" in June 1986. After consideration of the application by the Teamwork Monitoring Committee in June 1986 discussions took place between the sponsoring group and officials of my Department in July 1986. In the course of these discussions further information on the application, including data on the five separate projects encompassed by it, was requested. This was received in August 1986. From an examination of the five proposals it appeared that four of these were essentially commercial in character and would not, therefore be eligible for consideration under Teamwork. Further evidence of the commercial nature of these four projects was evidenced by the fact that they were approved for planning grants under the youth employment agency's community enterprise programme. This programme is designed to assist projects which may be sustainable on a commercial basis. The applicants were notified accordingly on 10 September 1986. The fifth application submitted was examined but it did not meet the criteria for Teamwork and the applicants were notified accordingly on 17 September 1986.
A complaint about my Department's handling of the case was made to the Ombudsman on behalf of "Network for Jobs". The Ombudsman did not uphold the complaint and the group was informed of the decision by letter dated 11 May 1987.