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 1994-99.
These measures are implemented nationally across the first, second and third levels of education through schools, vocational education committees, the technological sector, 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 the WIT.
The Agenda 2000 communication from the EU Commission deals with the financing priorities of the Union for the years 2000 to 2006, in the context of the enlargement of the Union. In the context of Structural Funds, proposals contained in Agenda 2000 recognise the need for transitional arrangements for those regions currently eligible under Objective 1, but where living standards (measured in GDP per capita) have increased beyond the level of 75 per cent of the Community average.