Vol. 535 No. 3
28 Mr. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in relation to her chairmanship of the monitoring committee for the productive sector of the operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme under the national development plan, she is satisfied that targets are being met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12406/01]
My Department is the designated managing authority for two of the operational programmes under the national development plan. These are the productive sector operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme.
The objectives and strategies outlined in the national development plan, which relate to my Department, were drawn up in close consultation with Government Departments and the implementing agencies, which include Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and FÁS. The operational programmes are monitored by their respective monitoring committees. My Department chairs both the monitoring committees for the productive sector operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme. The first annual reports on the operational programmes will cover the year 2000. These reports are being compiled at present and are due to be considered by the monitoring committees later this month. Expenditure under the employment and human resources development operational programme in 2000 amounted to some 1.64 billion, or 72 % of the forecast for the year. Expenditure under the productive sector operational programme in 2000 amounted to some 229 million or 28% of the forecast for the year.
It is not unusual for expenditure in the first year of such programmes to be less than the forecast and there are a number of valid reasons for this. For example, there was a considerable delay in a number of areas under the productive sector operational programme in obtaining State aid approval from the European Commission. Also, there is inevitably a time-lag from the launch of schemes to the receipt and evaluation of proposals and the incurring of expenditure. It should also be remembered that expenditure was still continuing in 2000 in respect of commitments made up to the end of 1999 under the previous round of operational programmes.
Targets have been put in place to measure the progress of the operational programmes at mid-term in 2003 and on completion in 2006. I am confident that over the period of the plan, the targets for both programmes are realistic and achievable. Both programmes will be subject to ongoing independent evaluation to ensure they remain focused and on target.
