Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2015
49. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the budget for the delivery of the Youth Guarantee in 2015; the amount of funding to be provided by the European Social Fund and the European Youth Employment Initiative and by the Exchequer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34808/15]
View answerThe Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) is being managed as part of Ireland’s relationship with the European Social Fund (ESF) under the Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020, for which the Irish Managing Authority is the Department of Education and Skills.
I am informed that the total amount of YEI funding for which Ireland is applying in relation to the years 2014-2018 is €68,145,419 in respect of overall relevant programme expenditure of €204,436,537. It is anticipated that the YEI funding will be matched by a similar amount of ESF funding, with the balance coming from matching domestic expenditure. In the normal course of events, this amount of YEI funding will be drawn down as final claims are made in respect of these years. However, I understand that an advance payment of €21,465,806.99 was made to Ireland under the YEI earlier this year.
YEI funding has been applied for in relation to only some of the programmes that go to make up Ireland’s response to the EU Recommendation on a Youth Guarantee. The overall range of such programmes is set out in the government’s Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan, which estimated annual expenditure on the core programmes involved of approximately €336 million, with a further expenditure on other relevant programmes (Apprenticeship and PLC courses) of €192 million. Actual expenditure on participation by young people on this range of programmes in 2015 will depend on the take-up of places, and can be estimated only after the end of the financial year.
