Vol. 399 No. 8
94 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for Education if she will give an assurance that all full-time secretarial courses be classified as European Social Fund designated courses and be funded accordingly; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Only courses in recognised institutions which satisfy the criteria governing eligibility for ESF aid can be approved and funded as such by my Department. Applications are invited each year and each year is considered on its merits. The general criteria taken into account are the duration of the course, content, relevance to labour market needs, level and type of trainee, the status of the institution, the level of aid available and the procedures for financial control.
