Vol. 428 No. 5
239 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Education if she will give details of the amount of EC structural funding which will be available for investment in secondary education; when such funding will become available; how and where such funding will be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Aid from the European Social Fund of £57.273 million has been committed for vocational training programmes in the second level education sector in 1993. This represents 65 per cent aid towards approved expenditure up to a ceiling of £88.11 million for the current year. The programmes involved are the Vocational Preparation and Training and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programmes in second level schools, the Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme offering second chance education/training to long term unemployed adults, and initiatives such as Youthreach for unqualified early school leavers.
The Programme for Partnership Government has outlined the priorities in the area of education and training.
No final decisions have yet been taken by the Government as to the proposals which will be included in the new Community Support Framework to be negotiated with the EC for Ireland.
