Vol. 538 No. 1
60 Mr. Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the main features of the Equal campaign launched by her on 6 June 2001; the resources which are being allocated for the campaign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17238/01]
The new Equal community initiative which I formally launched on 6 June 2001 is the successor to the previous employment and adapt human resource community initiatives. Equal, with support from the European social fund, ESF, will fund and support, on a transnational co-operation basis, innovative activities aimed at combating all forms of discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market. These activities will be based on the four pillars of the European employment strategy and within the following themes: employability – access and return to the labour market; entrepreneurship – business creation process to be open to all; adaptability – inclusive workplace practices and lifelong learning, coping with information communication technologies and upgrading skills; and equal opportunities – work-life balance and new forms of work organisation.
A partnership approach, the Development Partnership, involving all the actors will be the framework for project activity under Equal. Only Equal development partnerships will be eligible to receive funding under this new initiative. In pursuance of the North-South provisions of the Belfast Agreement, the operational programme contains arrangements for co-operation on common policy areas at development partnership level and at operational level between Equal managing authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic.
