asked the Minister for Labour if agreement has been reached that the proportion of EC funding under the European Social Fund will be 65 per cent of the total; and, if not, the proportion which will operate.
Written Answers. - European Social Fund.
220.
For 1989, the European Social Fund will operate under its existing rules and the intervention rate of assistance for operations in the less-developed regions of the Community, including Ireland, will accordingly, be 55 per cent.
From 1 January 1990, the new rules will operate for the European Social Fund. These prescribe that the rates of assistance may range between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of public expenditure for the Objective 1 regions, which include Ireland. The actual rates which will apply to particular programmes will be the subject of negotiations with the European Commission but I would expect that the normal rate in the European Social Fund would be towards the upper end of the prescribed range.
221.
asked the Minister for Labour if he will give a breakdown by activity and by region of the activities supported from the European Social Fund in Ireland in 1988.
Total approvals from the European Social Fund for operations carried out in Ireland in 1988 amounted to almost £165.9 million. A breakdown by major beneficiary is given in the table hereunder.
Assistance from the European Social Fund was allocated on the basis of national programmes. Details by region of the operations assisted are not available to my Department.
|
Beneficiary |
Activity |
Total ESF Approvals in respect of 1988 Operations |
|
£m |
||
|
FÁS |
Vocational training of unemployed young people and adults; retraining of employed persons in new technology; Employment schemes |
85.9 |
|
Department of Education |
Programmes of vocational preparation and preparation and technological training for young persons |
49.1 |
|
National Rehabilitation Board (on behalf of health boards and voluntary organisations) |
Operations for disabled people capable of working in the open labour market |
16.6 |
|
IDA |
Vocational training of unemployed persons for new enterprises. |
4.2 |
|
CERT |
Vocational training for hotel and catering sectors |
5.8 |
|
TEAGASC |
Vocational training for young persons in agriculture and commercial horticulture |
2.5 |
|
*Others |
Vocational training of young persons as aircraft mechanics; as deckhands; of employed managers in new technology and of unemployed persons for new enterprises. |
1.8 |
|
Total |
£165.9m |
* Includes Aer Lingus, BIM, IMI, SFADCo and Údarás na Gaeltachta.