Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 May 2014
72. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the budget allocated to the labour market activation fund during each of the past three years; the number of projects supported during each of those years and their names; the number of participants on each of them; and the funding allocated to each project. [20522/14]
View answerThe Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF) was launched in March 2010 in order to support the creation of training and education programmes for specific priority groups among the unemployed. These groups were the low skilled and those formerly employed in declining sectors - construction, retail and manufacturing sectors - with particular emphasis on the under 35s and the long-term unemployed. It operated across 2010 and 2011 at a total cost of €29.4m. Following evaluation of that scheme, the Labour Market Education and Training Fund (LMETF), known as MOMENTUM, was established in 2012 with a budget of €20m to provide up to 6,500 places for long term unemployed individuals to participate on education and training programmes in specific sectors where employment opportunities existed. Budget 2014 included a provision for a further round of MOMENTUM, with up to 6,000 places available, which will be rolled out in 2014. As SOLAS is responsible for the management and delivery of the MOMENTUM Programme I have asked SOLAS to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested.
