Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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550. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount drawn down from the EU youth guarantee scheme in each of the years 2015 to 2020, respectively, in tabular form. [8619/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) supports the implementation of the EU youth guarantee. It is programmed as a dedicated priority axis with the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020 (PEIL). Ireland’s specific YEI allocation of €68m (for 2014 and 2015) is matched by equal amounts from our ESF allocation and from the Exchequer, giving an overall total allocation of €204m. Ireland was not eligible for an additional allocation under the second YEI allocation arising from the mid-term revision of the Multi-annual Financial Framework in 2017.

All ESF activities, including YEI activities, are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer with the EU (ESF/YEI) funding being claimed in arrears.In addition to prefinancing of €6.39m received for the YEI, payment applications submitted to the European Commission in respect of the YEI are set out below:

The Commission retains 10% of the payment due until the accounts for the year are closed.

Further payment applications are being prepared for submission to the Commission to fully draw down the EU allocations.

In addition, the Department of Social Protection obtained EU funding of €250,000 under the European Commission’s call for proposals for preparatory actions under the Youth Guarantee Pilot, to pilot a Youth Guarantee Scheme in Ballymun which operated in 2014.