Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 31 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 6

Written Answers. - Transitional Training Projects.

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

68 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the total funding received from the EC under the Now, Eurofarm and Horizon programmes; the number of extra jobs which have been created as a result of these schemes; the number of students enrolled in each centre; and the steps, if any, he proposes to take to ensure the continuation of these schemes.

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

Euroform, Horizon and Now are European Community Initiatives which aim to support the piloting of innovative training projects on a transnational basis. Euroform focuses on innvoation in training, Horizon funds projects to develop training for the disadvantaged and the disabled, while Now concerns new kinds of training for women. The EC funding applies to the period 1992 to 1994 and the total allocation for the three programmes amounts to IR£30.4 million. Projects receive up to 65 per cent of their funding from the Structural Funds, mainly the European Social Fund and they must themselves source the required matching funds. The total investment will therefore amount to IR£47.4 million.

Under Euroform, Horizon and Now, 187 projects are being supported to develop new kinds of training for various target groups. At the end of 1992, 286 full and part time jobs had been created in terms of people employed to manage and deliver the training projects.

On these projects by the end of 1992, 4,763 people had received training at 160 locations throughout the country. Since many projects are still at the start up phase, this figure can be expected to rise significantly during 1993.

The Human Resource Community Initiatives, Euroform, Horizon and Now, are a particularly innovatory form of Structural Fund investment. They have an important role to play in the development of vocational training interventions in Ireland and the rest of the European Community. Under these initiatives, a wider group of organisations are in receipt of European Social Fund money than has traditionally been the case. They include voluntary organisations, trade unions, professional institutes as well as statutory education and training agencies.

The European Commission has not yet decided on the future of Euroform, Horizon and Now. From a national perspective, I consider that these programmes represent a significant and welcome development. They direct Community funds to the local level and allow for the piloting of new approaches to training across a very wide spectrum. Accordingly, I have strongly made the case to the European Commission for the continuation of these three initiatives and for the provision of necessary funding in the next Community Support Framework for Ireland.