Written answers
Thursday, 8 March 2018
Department of Education and Skills
EU Funding
Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding allocated here to a fund (details supplied) in each of the years 2014 to 2020; and the amount spent in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to date in 2018 in tabular form including the breakdown between Exchequer funding and EU funding to same. [11684/18]
John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Following the allocation of an additional €2m funding as part of the mid-term Review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the ESF co-financed Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) for the period 2014-2020 contains a total budget of €1.157 billion. This budget comprises ESF and Exchequer contributions of €544.516m each and an EU Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) budget contribution of €68.145m. The YEI is being delivered in Ireland as a dedicated priority axis within the PEIL 2014-2020, which includes allocations for over 20 activities which are being implemented across a range of bodies. The annual programme allocations for the years 2014-2020, are set out in the following table:
| Year | ESF Allocation € | YEI Allocation € | Exchequer Allocation € | Total € |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 72,960,638 | 38,283,943 | 72,960,638 | 184,205,219 |
| 2015 | 74,421,358 | 29,861,476 | 74,421,358 | 178,704,193 |
| 2016 | 75,911,109 | 0 | 75,911,109 | 151,822,218 |
| 2017 | 77,934,839 | 0 | 77,934,839 | 155,869,678 |
| 2018 | 79,494,537 | 0 | 79,494,537 | 158,989,074 |
| 2019 | 81,085,397 | 0 | 81,085,397 | 162,170,794 |
| 2020 | 82,707,948 | 0 | 82,707,948 | 165,415,896 |
| Total | 544,515,826 | 68,145,419 | 544,515,826 | 1,157,177,071 |
All PEIL approved activities are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer, with the EU (ESF/YEI) funding being claimed in arrears.The ESF Managing Authority and the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee maintain an ongoing overview of the funding allocations under the PEIL and re-allocates the available funding as required, in accordance with the EU Regulatory provisions.
No payment application has been made to the European Commission to date in respect of the PEIL 2014-2020.The ESF authorities must be designated in accordance with the EU regulations prior to making the first payment application. This designation is based on the opinion of the Independent Audit Body (IAB) which must be satisfied across a range of criteria that systems are in place to allow the ESF authorities to perform their required functions. These systems requirements include the provision of a computerised accounting and information system for EU funds to meet the 2014-2020 functionality requirements. Work on the development of the IT system is very advanced with phases 1 and 2 having been completed and the final phase expected to be completed by end-March 2018. The ESF authorities are engaging with the IAB and it is expected that designation will be completed in the coming weeks.
Preparations are underway for the submission of a first payment application to the Commission in Q3 2018. The European Commission has advised that the potential decommitment at end 2018 is €127.7m, if not claimed in payment applications in the meantime. The ESF authorities will ensure that sufficient payment applications are submitted to fully drawdown the EU funding allocations.
Simplified cost models, such as flat-rate financing and unit cost models, are being used to claim EU support so the actual amounts of ESF eligible expenditure on the activities across the PEIL can only be reliably determined on the completion of financial declarations by beneficiaries. These financial declarations are examined by the ESF authorities and adjusted as required prior to submission to the Commission in payment applications.
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