Vol. 306 No. 6
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that community development officers employed by Muintir na Tíre have had their employment terminated as a result of the withdrawal of EEC grants towards their employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
6.
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware that because of the withdrawal of EEC grants and the freezing of his Department's aid at £25,000, Muintir na Tíre have had to lay off their community development officers and that this will seriously affect the development of community councils especially in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
I am informed that Muintir na Tíre consider that they are unable to continue the employment of six community development officers whose training was funded by a grant from the EEC Social Fund for a pilot project in community development. The grant from the EEC Social Fund payable through the Department of Labour was for this specific training project. I understand that Muintir na Tíre were made aware that there would be no further assistance available from the social fund after the four-year term of the pilot training project ended on 31 December 1977.
Muintir na Tíre must accordingly have entered into the relevant arrangements in full knowledge of the facts of the situation. There can be no question of an increase in the grant-in-aid from the Department of Education consequent on the cessation of the arrangement between Muintir na Tíre and the EEC.
May I take it from the Minister's reply that it is a decision of the Government that although these people have been trained, and their training paid for, they are to be made redundant from the end of December? Is this a further example of people being trained for jobs with absolutely no hope of future employment? Surely the Minister would agree that in this specific case, where a small number of people were trained to do a very important job, it is unfair that the State should say they are not prepared to give any assistance to keep them in employment.
I appreciate the Deputy's interest in Muintir na Tíre. I repeat that it was through the Department of Labour that this grant came from the social fund. I do not know how my Department became involved originally because Muintir na Tíre are involved in community development, not education. My Department made a grant-in-aid this year to Muintir na Tíre and do not intend to increase that grant. It is the same grant which was paid in 1976 and 1977.
I know County Cavan very well and I know that in the Minister's constituency there are quite a number of people who have been trained and are doing an excellent job for Muintir na Tíre, as in other areas. Would the Minister not consider talking to the Minister for Labour and his other colleagues with a view to doing something to prevent the complete waste of money in the training of people who have been made redundant?
That is a separate question.
Would the Minister agree in that it is unfair in this specific case that the amount of money made available last year should not be increased, even by the miserly amount by which the Government have increased other grants this year?
I do not consider that the increase of over 20 per cent which my Department are providing for educational services is a miserly grant. The particular grant-in-aid for Muintir na Tíre will not be increased this year. I would not agree with the Deputy that training is lost. The country will benefit and positions will be available for people who have acquired expertise through the training they got as a result of this grant having been made available from the Department of Labour but originally from the social fund.
Will the Minister agree that if he had given the same increase to Muintir na Tíre which he gave across the board, namely, 20 per cent, there would be at least one of these community development officers still employed? Will he state how these people will be able to use their training? I happen to know of one case where the man is in a job now—he was very fortunate to get it—but it has no connection whatever with the training he received.
Certain emphasis in the placement of the percentage increases had to be made by my Department, the main reason being public commitments given in a general election programme. That is where I place the emphasis.
The programme does not get any priority whatever so far as the Minister is concerned.
Questions Nos. 7 and 8 postponed.
