asked the Minister for Labour the reason the amount of moneys available for the Teamwork scheme during 1986 was reduced by his Department; the number of applications from County Wexford under this scheme from January 1985 to February 1986; and the number given approval.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Teamwork Scheme.
9.
The allocation for Teamwork in 1986 was determined as part of the annual Estimates process which took account of the demands for Exchequer funding and the general budgetary situation. Twenty-nine applications were received from County Wexford in respect of the 1985 allocation and 21 in respect of the 1986 allocation. Eight projects from County Wexford were approved in 1985.
Because of the large number of projects approved for assistance in 1985 which have continued into the present year, very heavy financial commitments were carried into 1986. It has been possible, therefore, to approve grants for only a limited number of new projects this year. The new projects for which approval has been given do not include any from County Wexford. However, a number of projects in County Wexford for which grants were approved in 1985 have continued into 1986 with assistance under the Teamwork scheme. An additional £2 million has been provided by the Government for the continuation of the Teamwork scheme this year. All applications received this year and rejected due to lack of funds including those from County Wexford are now being re-considered in my Department.
This question has been down so long that it is nearly out of date. I put it down in February but my name did not come out of the lottery. I want to highlight the unemployment problem in Wexford, particularly in relation to young people. There are 8,000 people unemployed in County Wexford, 40 per cent of them under 25 years. The Minister has been in Wexford on a number of occasions. In view of the serious unemployment there — it is 7 per cent above national average — does the Minister consider that the county should be given priority in relation to sanctions for Teamwork schemes? Only eight schemes were sanctioned in two years and therefore Wexford is losing out badly vis-á-vis other counties. Would he consider the serious position there and give priority to the applications already in?
As the Deputy knows, I have great affection for County Wexford and visit it quite frequently. I am also a great admirer of the Model County's ability to maximise all of its resources. I might ask Deputy Browne to try to persuade his farming colleagues in Wexford in pay the arrears of rates they owe to Wexford County Council, approximately £2 million, and then there would be plenty of resources in that county to be applied to the numerous schemes in the Department of Labour.
I have a suspicion the Minister is trying to dodge issue by putting the blame on people who in this instance are not at fault. He has been successful in doing that many times. What criteria are used to decide which county or counties or projects are accepted eventually for the Teamwork schemes?
We look at projects on the basis of the need for employment for the participants, the potential they would have for getting employment arising out of the schemes and the economic benefit the project would have in terms of their contribution to the community. We must also have regard to a geographical spread.
The Minister referred to a geographical spread. Eight schemes out of 40 could hardly be acceptable in these circumstances. The Minister asked us a number of times to put forward ideas about where money might come from. Most of those young people are on unemployment assistance and surely it makes better economic sense to pay those people to work rather than to stay at home — work from which some benefit would eventually be returned to us.
One criterion we are looking at is the qualifications of the participants who would otherwise be drawing social assistance money. If the Deputy puts down a question I can supply information on the overall spread of the various projects. The Deputy will find that County Wexford has fared well in programmes sponsored by the Department of Labour.
I hope the Minister was not serious when he introduced the red herring of the farmers and their rates. That has nothing to do with Teamwork schemes. One thousand young people are emigrating every year and I share the same concern the Minister and Deputy Ahern expressed about advising them when they are emigrating. Because so many young people are emigrating from Wexford and because we have the highest unemployment rate in the country, would the Minister seriously consider allocating extra Teamwork money to County Wexford? The AnCo training centre in Wexford has been advised not to take on people over 25 years and cannot take on people under 25 years because of a lack of money for Teamwork. Where, then, will any young people in Wexford go? Taking account of geographical spread and all that, would the Minister consider treating Wexford as a priority?
I did not facetiously introduce arrears of farmers' rates in County Wexford, but the one constraint we have in relation to any of these programmes is money, and I am not satisfied that the farming community in the past have been paying their fair share of taxation. The specific crisis in County Wexford in relation to local authority finance was precipitated by the farmers who initiated the High Court constitutional action which in part has resulted in the crisis in local authority funding nationwide. Wexford County Council are owed £2 million which the Wexford farmers have yet to pay up. That is the only constraint we have in relation to these programmes.
County Wexford has benefited significantly under the social employment scheme for 25 year olds and over. The AnCO centre is operating in Wexford, though not at a scale or a size that I would like but, as I said, my only constraint is money. I am prepared to sit down with the two Deputies to show them what has been provided for Wexford in the past couple of years. By comparison with the rest of the country, they would find that more than a fair share has been provided for Wexford. I do not say in any sense of false flattery that I have a great respect for the ability of the Wexford administration at all levels to put to very good use the resources they receive.
Is the Minister serious in suggesting that the farmers have not the right to contest the constitutionality of the rates? Is he satisfied with the way money is being spent in the Teamwork programme? Has he a monitoring system?
Of course they were right to test it. That was their constitutional right. However, I think they were ill-advised and the damage done to the system more than outweighed any grievance they had.
They had the right to do it.
In answer to the Deputy's query, we use the National Manpower Service to monitor the scheme.
Is the Minister satisfied that the money has been well spent?
I am calling on the Minister to answer Question No. 10.