Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the grants and other financial assistance awarded by his Department in each of the past three years to men's organisations and groups or organisations providing services primarily for men, including the names of the organisations or groups; the amounts awarded; and the purposes for which they were awarded. [10666/05]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the grants and other financial assistance awarded by his Department in each of the past three years to women's organisations and groups or organisations providing services primarily for women, including the names of the organisations or groups; the amounts awarded; and the purposes for which they were awarded. [10667/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together.

The projects listed have been awarded assistance from the European Social Fund by my Department under the EU's EQUAL community initiative programme. EQUAL seeks to identify and address fundamental forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market through the development of new and innovative policies and practices. Projects are operated by consortia known as development partnerships. While all development partnerships funded under EQUAL have a wider equality dimension, the first project is specifically targeted at men, and the subsequent projects are targeted specifically at women. The projects were awarded a global allocation in 2002 to cover the period to mid 2005.

The Traveller Economy Sectoral Partnership was awarded €740,471. The aim of the project is to develop innovative responses to address the underlying issues impeding the engagement of Traveller men in the Traveller economy.

The Work Life Balance Network Partnership was awarded €824,839. The aim of the project is to explore and facilitate the absorption of work life balance policies and promote models of good practice in semi-state bodies, local authorities and some private organisations that are currently facing a period of significant change.

The National Flexi-Work Partnership was awarded €1,205,604. The aim of this project is to develop new models of working, which will facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life and to encourage employers and policy makers to incorporate these models into their normal practices.

The Longford Equal Development Partnership Limited was awarded €375,934. The aim of the project is to develop a partnership that will devise and implement comprehensive, integrated and effective inter-agency strategies and actions in order to address the structural and attitudinal impediments to women becoming self employed.

In addition to the projects mentioned, the following were awarded ESF funding in March 2005. The Longford Equal Development Partnership Limited was awarded €525,000. Longford EQUAL aims to bring about a radical improvement in the sustainability and development of women-led businesses by articulating and enhancing the understanding of lessons learned from practice, so that they can impact on policy formulation in the area of support for women's entrepreneurship.

The North West Alliance for Improving Working Lives was awarded €844,643. The project aims to improve the quality of working life for women and men by creating the conditions at work to promote attendance, particularly among vulnerable workers, to support and retain staff by using innovative organisational work based supports, to reduce the gender pay gap and to contribute to the modernisation of public and community sector services.

The Leadership Initiative — Females in Trade Unions — LIFT was awarded €1,058,208. The LIFT project aims to achieve organisational change and develop skills targeted towards addressing the under-representation and participation by women at leadership level in the trade union movement.