Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects the final EU funding decision to be made regarding the release of 65% of the European Globalisation Fund contribution of €35.5 million for construction workers here; if he has sent letters notifying all persons who are eligible for this co-financed funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2011/12]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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1On 16 November 2011 the EU budgetary authorities approved three separate applications for co-financed assistance from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) made by my Department in respect of almost 9,000 former workers made redundant in the construction NACE 41, 43 and 71 sub-sectors between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010.

European Commission financing decisions awarding EGF contributions of €12.7m, €21.6m and €1.4m for the three respective applications were made on 13 December 2011. These monies were duly received by the Department on 29 December 2011.

EGF services include career guidance, full, part-time and evening further education and training courses, apprenticeship on-and off-the-job training, full and part-time third level education programmes, enterprise start-up advisory and financial supports and related training and education allowances where appropriate. The main service providers delivering these supports are FÁS, Vocational Education Committees and publicly funded higher education institutes. Training is also being provided through contracted private providers and the technical employment support grant mechanism administered by FÁS. Letters of notification of relevant EGF services issued to eligible persons from the EGF Managing Authority in the Department encompassed by the three EGF construction applications on 19 December 2011.

A dedicated EGF Construction Contact Centre has been established to provide phone and on-line information and support facilitate access to professional career and occupational guidance for them, make onwards referrals to other service providers and to administer EGF Training Grants in respect of the eligible redundant workers.

In addition, a new EGF website www.egf.ie also went live on 19 December 2011 and provides further information on the EGF programmes as well as an on-line application process for the EGF training grant scheme.

WRC Social and Economic Consultants Ltd have been contracted by my Department to collate management information data on the three EGF construction programmes in cooperation with the EGF Construction Contact Centre. Monthly reports on uptake of personalised services and other relevant statistical information are required to be submitted to this Department. The first such report will cover the period to the end of January 2012.

Between 19 December 2011 and 9 January 2012, 553 queries on EGF services had been received by the EGF Construction Contact Centre and some 73 clients had been referred to the national VEC Coordinator for tailored VEC career guidance courses. For the same period, 1,123 unique visits to the website and 76 on-line applications for EGF training grants via the website were recorded.