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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 3

Written Answers. - Community Employment Schemes.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

150 Ms Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which she intends to finance the funding of community employment schemes after current European Union funding ceases to be available; the plans, if any, she has, for the future running and financing of community employment schemes should no further European Union funding be available to her after 1999; the plans, if any, she has to extend the number of community employment schemes in view of the number of new applications received and which cannot go ahead without extra funding being made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12342/98]

The community employment programme is funded almost entirely from the Exchequer rather than from EU Structural Funds. In 1997, out of the total cost of £300 million support from the European Social Fund was £10.4 million and the quantum of support is likely to be similar this year. A reduction in Structural Funds support post-1999 thus does not, in itself, imply a diminution in the size of the community employment programme.

The number of places on the community employment programme was increased by 1,000 this year to 41,000. The number of places on the jobs initiative was also increased by 1,000 to 2,000. Any future targeting of community employment or increase in the number of active labour market places will take place in the light of wider developments in the labour market and having regard to the objectives set out in the employment action plan, which we submitted to the European Commission in April this year.

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