Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I take the Minister's point but it is a generalised one. The criticism in my question referred to the lack of progress in the most disadvantaged areas, which is the kernel of the problem. There is also the issue of the programme having no set budget. I find it difficult to differentiate between where new funding was spent, where funding came from within the NDP and what may or may not have been front-loaded. These are the issues which arise.

The Minister referred to the criticism of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and FÁS in the context of accessing training, education and employment. What is the Minister's view of the recommendation that an incentive should be offered to employers by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to encourage employers to recruit employees from RAPID areas?

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