Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 16 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 6

Written Answers - EU Funding Reduction.

Alan M. Dukes

Ceist:

33 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Education and Science the main areas of his Department's activities which would be affected by a reduction in EU funding post-1999; and the contingency planning, if any, which he is undertaking to accommodate such a reduction. [16693/97]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

Assistance from the EU Structural Funds for the period 1994-99 is provided to my Department in respect of specific measures in support of the human resources development priorities identified in the Community Support Framework 1994-1999. These measures are implemented nationally across the first, second and third levels of education through schools, vocational education committees, regional technical colleges — regional technical colleges — the Dublin Institute of Technology — Dublin Institute of Technology — the Waterford Institute of Technology — WIT — and the universities and include support for curricular reform in the senior cycle as well as programmes such as the vocational preparation and training — VPT— programme and vocational training opportunities scheme — VTOS — and certificate and diploma courses in the regional technical colleges, Dublin Institute of Technology and WIT.

The Agenda 2000 Communication from the EU Commission deals with the financing priorities of the Union for 2000 to 2006, in the context of the enlargement of the Union. In the context of Structural Funds, proposals contained in the Agenda 2000 recognise the need for transitional arrangements for those regions currently eligible under Objective 1, but which will have passed the 75 per cent threshold.

There is a strong recognition in Agenda 2000 of the crucial role of education which it states is "a powerful tool for social equity and inclusion". It proposes, in this context, that a new objective should be created which would pursue a strategy to "help the member states to adapt and modernise their systems of education, training and employment". The Commission's proposals will of course be the subject of detailed negotiations at Council.

Any reduction in the overall level of transfers to Ireland in the next programme period will have implications across the whole range of Government expenditure. The level of transfers to the education sector from the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the European Free Trade Association are very substantial, an average 180.5 mecu at 1994 prices, in the current Community Support Framework. Therefore we need to examine carefully the potential implications of any reduction in such transfers in terms of the existing range of measures supported by the EU Structural Funds. To this end, I immediately established a working group in my Department to examine the implications for the education sector of Agenda 2,000 proposals. My Department's consideration of these matters will feed into the overall consideration by the Government of the issues arising in the post-1999 situation.

I have already had a meeting with the EU Commissioner responsible for employment and industrial relations and social affairs, Mr. Padráig Flynn, to discuss matters relevant to the European Social Fund, with a view to ensuring that there is a recognition within the Commission of the importance of continued European Social Fund support, in the post-1999 period, for the vital role of education and training in the enhancing of employment prospects and in our continued economic development.