Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 461: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the projects contained in the new national development plan that will be procured and commenced in 2007 in his Department; when they will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5798/07]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the large scale infrastructure projects which will be completed during the lifetime of the new national development plan within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5809/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 462 together.

My Department has received funding in the new National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 under the Social Inclusion Priority of the Plan. The funding provided is mainly for four programmes as follows:

The Activation Sub-Programme, aims to promote participation and social inclusion through engaging with people of working age on social welfare payments at the initial claim stage, in order to facilitate progression to employment, training, education and other opportunities as appropriate. It is intended to invest €50 million under this Sub-Programme over the lifetime of the NDP. The Back to Work Sub-Programme aims to encourage the long term unemployed and other social welfare customers to take up employment or self-employment opportunities by enabling them to retain a proportion of their social welfare payment over a number of years. In addition funding is available to programmes run by third parties to assist welfare recipients and members of their families in availing of education, training and development opportunities. Some €591 million will be made available under this Sub-Programme over the lifetime of the NDP.

The Back to Education Sub-Programme is designed to help people in receipt of social welfare improve their employability and job-readiness by giving them the opportunity to improve their qualifications and education. Some €519 million will be made available under this Sub-Programme over the lifetime of the NDP.

The Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme is administered by the Family Support Agency. It aims to help combat disadvantage by improving the function of the family unit. Family Resource Centres empower disadvantaged people by involving them in decisions which affect them and enabling them to use and develop their own skills, knowledge and experience. Funding will continue under the NDP with priority given to centres which serve those areas where communities are contending with multiple disadvantage. Some €187 million is being provided for this programme to expand the number of centres from its current 100 to 142 over the lifetime of the plan. There are no large scale infrastructure projects included in the funding provided to my Department under the NDP.