Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans being introduced to cut funding in the Skillnets programme nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13899/09]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 65: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will amend her decision to cut the Skillnets programme in view of the fact that training of the unemployed would benefit enterprise here in the long term, and further in view of the fact that Skillnets exposes participants to networking opportunities which enhance their employment prospects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13900/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.

As I indicated in the reply to Question No 26 [13739] of 1 April 2009 all Departmental budgets are currently under review. Any reallocations that result will reflect the funding priorities that have been agreed by the Government and the changes necessary to support their delivery. Government funding of the Skillnets Training Networks Programme, which supports enterprise-led training in the workplace, has increased in recent years and has been indicative of the Government's commitment to upskilling persons in employment, with particular emphasis on those with low basic skills, to retain and enhance employability and maintain competitiveness.

However, the changed economic and employment market situation has meant that many of the workers who would have benefited from training programmes for those in employment are now unemployed. In my view that means that we must adjust our training programmes to the new reality. That is why my Department is implementing a number of initiatives to increase training for the unemployed. This will mean refocusing some of the finite budgetary resources for training towards activation measures aimed at training greater numbers of unemployed persons. It is in this context that the Skillnets Training Network Programme allocation for 2009 is under review in the context of the forthcoming April Budget.

I am aware that proposals have been made to my Department from Skillnets as to how the enterprise-led skillnets training network model might potentially be of assistance in the training and upskilling of the unemployed and of part-time workers. These proposals are currently under discussion with the Department.