Vol. 441 No. 8
11 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the Community Support Framework for social welfare will be published; the projects that have been cancelled or curtailed as a result of the overall reduction of 8.5 per cent in the National Development Plan, 1994-1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There is no specific allocation to my Department under the National Plan and no Community Support Framework for social welfare to be published. In the circumstances, the question of publishing details of projects that may be cancelled or reduced in my Department's area of responsibility does not arise.
However, my Department will be closely involved in the implementation of the local development programme which is set out in chapter 7 of the plan and the Department is represented on a steering committee chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach in this regard. This programme builds on the experience of, inter alia, the community development programme and will provide specific funds for community development activity which will complement and enhance the work undertaken in the community development programme. The local development programme also provides for a range of programmes of work, education and training for the long term unemployed which build on initiatives undertaken in this regard over recent years and which will improve the range of opportunities available to long term unemployed people in disadvantaged areas.
In so far as the publication of the Community Support Framework for the next round of Structural Funds is concerned, the position, as already indicated by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, to the House, is that discussions are currently underway with the European Commission with a view to agreeing the Community Support Framework, which will set out the broad national and sectoral strategies for the use of EU Structural Funds.
Is the Minister aware it should have been published on 8 April?
We do our best.
Will those statements be published shortly?
As soon as the discussions are concluded, the details will be made available.
After the election.
I understand the discussions with the Commission are proceeding well, particularly in relation to the local development aspect which is a critical element of the whole plan in that it will focus on local area based development in a number of selected areas throughout the country. Some of these are existing Programme for Economic and Social Progress partnerships. Other areas have been identified which will also be a target for these initiatives. The details will be made available when the discussions are concluded.
Has the plan been agreed with the Commission?
As the Minister for Finance has stated previously in the House, discussions are under way at present.
They will be concluded by the end of June.
There is no outcome as yet. I am quite confident of the outcome, particularly in relation to the local development aspect with which my Department has been most associated.
