Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if moneys secured under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for retraining of redundant workers from a company (details supplied) were returned unspent to the fund; the amounts returned from each application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33109/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Under the European Globalisation Fund (EGF), a maximum contribution of 65% may be paid by the EU towards the cost of retraining and upskilling programmes for workers covered under an approved EGF application and delivered over a 24 month EGF implementation period, with the remaining 35% being funded from national resources. An EGF Final Report and Statement of Eligible Expenditure are then required to be submitted formally to the European Commission within 6 months of the end of the EGF implementation period. It is only at that stage that final certified expenditure is notified to the European Commission and any unused funds returned if applicable.

Of the 3 approved EGF applications submitted by Ireland to date, the Dell, Waterford Crystal and SRT EGF programmes ended on 28 June 2011, 6 August 2011 and 9 October 2011 respectively. Given that final reports have not yet been made to the EU, no EGF funding has been returned to date. In this context, as final claims on the first Irish EGF application, in respect of Dell workers, have not yet been received from various service providers and as the EGF final report and final statement of eligible expenditure are not required by the European Commission until 28 December 2011, I am not currently in a position to indicate the percentage of funds that will ultimately be returned to the EU. However, I can say that it is likely that a significant portion of the EU funding will be returned to the EU under the Dell EGF programme.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any of the redundant construction workers named in the most recent application to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund were contacted in advance of the application being made in 2010 or since he came into office; the number who were contacted; the date on which they were contacted; the number currently in a position to avail of this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33110/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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No individual contact has been made to date with the almost 9,000 workers made redundant in the NACE 41 Construction of Buildings, NACE 43 Specialised Construction Activities and NACE 71 Architectural Services construction sub-sectors between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010 in the context of the EGF application to which the Deputy refers. However, many of these workers have received supports and interventions from State training and education Agencies since they were made redundant.

My Department, in conjunction with other Government Departments and Agencies, is currently finalising proposals for opportunities for these workers to avail of further supports between now and the end of the EGF programmes next June, in addition to the supports that they have already received.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a review of the use of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund programmes for redundant workers in companies (details supplied) has been conducted; if he will place the report on the record of Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33111/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I have instituted a review in my Department of the EGF programmes in support of redundant workers at Dell, Waterford Crystal, S R Technics and relevant ancillary enterprises. My officials are currently finalising a consultation document for external circulation. It is intended to seek the views of and inputs from, inter alia, various redundant worker representative bodies on this document.

Following on input from all relevant stakeholder bodies and the completion of the review process in due course, I intend to make public the outcome of the review.