Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The committee will have information on the range of programmes provided through the ESF in areas like upskilling, labour market mobility, social inclusion, combatting discrimination, youth employment initiatives, education and training, and lifelong learning. I worked in a Youthreach centre a good while ago. These programmes are ongoing. Youthreach programmes that are funded under the ESF need to have receipts of expenditure. Many of these programmes involve programme expenditure. They are not necessarily about paying regular items from week to week. Obviously, there are items and budgets that need to be spent towards the end of the year. My consideration of this is the same as that of the committee. It will be good to get it in as early as possible. There is confidence here that the money will be paid. It is a question of timing. If there is a way of making that easier next year, for example, by trying to get the receipts in at as early a stage as possible, we can consider it. It is difficult to do that because of the ad hocnature of many of these programmes. Many involve one-off events and many programme costs require receipts. Obviously, that has to be factored in. My officials would prefer to be in a position in which this could be done earlier than November, but there are constraints around that.