Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of tenders that have been awarded under the labour market activation fund in 2010; the amount of the €20 million committed to the fund that has been drawn down; the number of the targeted 3,500 persons that have been assisted by the fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38432/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Following an open tender competition in which 370 tenders were received, I announced in June details of the first call of the Labour Market Activation Fund to support 26 different organisations across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors. On 5th August, I announced the allocation of an additional €12 million to the Fund, raising it to €32 million in all. This has enabled my Department to offer funding to 33 additional projects from a range of private and public training and education providers. This will bring to almost 60 the number of projects throughout the country being supported by the Labour Market Activation Fund. To-date approximately €8.4m has been drawn down by successful tenderers.

The target of 3,500 participants relates to the first tranche of funding provided to successful tenderers. While virtually all of these projects are now up and running, reports on progress including participant numbers are not yet available. I do however, anticipate that this target will be attained. A number of programmes from the second tranche of funding are still in the process of recruiting participants. Until all programmes are up and running it is extremely difficult to assess accurately the exact number of participants that have benefited from the fund.