Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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843. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons who have applied for participation in the Momentum programme in each year since its inception; the number of persons approved for participation; the number of persons who completed their course; the annual cost of the scheme; her plans to review its operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41447/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I understand from SOLAS who manage the Momentum Programme that no data is available on applications or queries to the Momentum programme prior to wait listing; potential participants are referred to the programme by the Department of Social Protection if they are eligible. 12,580 people were waitlisted for the first Momentum programme's projects which ran across 2013 and 2014. 7,656 persons were called to start projects of which 6,574 started. This information is collected and supplied for the entire programme and is not annualised.

From the information available at this moment in time SOLAS have confirmed that approximately 4,000 participants will complete their Momentum project. To date, €15.9M has been spent and the total cost of Momentum 1 will be approximately €16.5M; This is not annualised but the total cost of the programme over its duration as this is a delivery outcome payment system as distinct from an annual allocation.

In September of this year the MOMENTUM 2, 2014 was launched for up to 6,500 long-term jobseekers. I understand that the Momentum programme is currently being reviewed by an external consultant and a report will be published in due course.