Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has prepared any report accounting for the way in which the sums of money raised from the jobs initiative of May 2011 have been spent to date; if so, if he will provide full details of the the way in which this has been expended; and if he will advise the number of full and part-time jobs that have been created as a result of the initiative. [30272/12]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Jobs Initiative in 2011 the following details were announced by my Department at the time: 16,000 training and education places and €40 million in funding for building works for schools.

The Department of Education and Skills was to provide 15,900 education and training places across a spectrum of programmes: 6,000 places in the FÁS Specific Skills Training programme 5,900 places in the Higher Education Springboard programme 3,000 places in the Back to Education Initiative programme 1,000 places in Post Leaving Cert Courses.

These additional places were funded through the redeployment of some financial resources within the Department and an additional €8.3 million from the Exchequer. The aim of this provision was to enable more unemployed people to up-skill and re-skill so they can effectively compete for jobs in the labour market.

On the capital side, €40 million was made available through the Jobs Initiative to fund 374 primary and post primary school building projects. These funds allowed schools to carry out small and medium scale building works such as special needs access, toilet facilities, roof works and window replacements. The investment was expected to create 2,400 direct and 480 indirect much needed jobs in the construction sector. I have asked officials in my Department to look at the other issues raised in the question and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.