Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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298. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that is being drawn from the European Social Fund (ESF) for SOLAS (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9838/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The European Social Fund co-financed Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) for the period 2014-2020, contains a total budget of €1.153 billion, comprising ESF and Exchequer contributions of €542.43m each and an EU Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) budget contribution of €68.145m.  The PEIL includes proposed allocations for over 20 activities, including those under the YEI, being implemented across a range of bodies, with the following 5 activities being within the SOLAS/Education Training Board (ETB) remit.  While SOLAS is the beneficiary body for Momentum it is the Intermediate Body for the other activities with the ETBs being the beneficiary bodies.

The ESF Managing Authority and the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC) maintain an ongoing overview of the funding allocations under the PEIL and will reallocate the available funding as required, in accordance with the EU Regulatory provisions, over the lifetime of the PEIL. In this regard, the PMC has agreed in principle to the inclusion of the Community Training Centres, which are funded by the ETBs in consultation with SOLAS, as an approved activity under the YEI with effect from 1 January 2017.

While no claim for funding has been made to date, it is expected that the funding allocated will be fully drawn down during the programming period. Furthermore, as the activities concerned are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer there is no resulting reduction or delay in the funding available to those activities.  The ESF co-financing that is subsequently claimed is credited to the Vote of the relevant Department or the National Training Fund (NTF) which funded the activity.

Under the ESF Regulations, initial and annual pre-financing is provided by the Commission, resulting in receipts of €51.8m to date.  €20.4m of these receipts have been distributed, of which €14.6m is in respect of activities coming within the SOLAS/ETB remit, with €5.6m being credited to the NTF and €9m to the Education Vote.  The remaining €31.4m has or will be reimbursed to the Commission in the absence of a claim being made. Work on the designation of the relevant ESF authorities, including the provision of a national computerised accounting and information system for EU funds to meet the 2014-2020 functionality requirements is continuing. I understand that my Department expects that this designation work will be completed in the coming months and that it is proposed to commence the preparation of a first interim claim for payment from the Commission once the process of designation has concluded.This claim will be made within the EU Regulatory deadlines to ensure no loss of ESF receipts.