The total funding agreed for the Leonardo vocational training programme for the period 1 January, 1995 to 31 December 1999 is approximately £484 million, to be divided between all member states. The Leonardo programme amalgamates four existing programmes in the vocational training field — PETRA, FORCE, EUROTECNET and COMETT — which will cease to operate at the end of this year. The funding available under Leonardo, while down from the figure of approximately £635 million originally proposed by the Commission, should allow existing levels of activity to be maintained. Ireland's allocation from the Leonardo programme will not be clear until we have some idea of the projects that will be submitted to the Commission in the early part of 1995. Ireland's share of the funds in 1994, between the four existing programmes, will be approximately £4 million and we would expect to obtain at least a similar amount in 1995.
Funding for the Leonardo programme will come from the EU Task Force on Human Resources, Education, Training and Youth which reports directly to the EU Commission. This task force was formed to give an increased emphasis to education and training policies and is responsible at European level for the implementation of EU programmes in the Human Resources, Education, Training and Youth domain.
Programmes funded by the task force are separate from the initiatives funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). The ESF provides funding for mainline vocational training programmes and community initiatives in the vocational training field and is under the responsibility of DG V. Figures submitted in the National Development Plan in the vocational training area refer to programmes which require ESF funding.
