asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the level of European Social Fund aid granted to the National Rehabilitation Board since 1980; and whether or not any assistance from the European Social Fund has been made available to handicapped persons in County Limerick.
Written Answers. - Financial Assistance for Handicapped Persons.
74.
Grants from the European Social Fund are available in respect of the costs of training disabled persons for open employment. The grants are made to statutory and non-statutory bodies providing training facilities rather than directly to individual disabled persons.
A number of agencies providing training services in Limerick are in receipt of assistance from the fund. These include the Mid-Western Health Board, the Rehabilitation Institute, the Brothers of Charity and RETOS Shannon (via the Mid-Western Health Board).
The amounts granted from the European Social Fund specifically to the National Rehabilitation Board are set out below. As final payments are not normally made for some time after the year to which they relate, the amounts stated for 1984 and 1985 have not yet been paid in full.
|
£ |
|
|
1980 |
598,125 |
|
1981 |
855,791 |
|
1982 |
1,110,488 |
|
1983 |
1,353,988 |
|
1984 |
1,098,890 |
|
1985 |
20,616 |
The reduction in ESF funding for the NRB in 1985 was due to a stricter interpretation by the European Commision of the guidelines relating to the operation of the fund.