merrion street

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills Ciarán Cannon today welcomed the announcement by the European Commission of its approval of three Irish applications worth €55 million under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The Irish applications must still be approved by the European Council and the European Parliament. The EGF will co-finance a range of active labour market measures to assist a specific group of almost 9,000 redundant construction workers who were made redundant in Ireland between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010.

Given the need to commence interventions early and in advance of EU approval, a significant element of the supports have already been delivered. In fact, support measures have been underway since the first eligible redundancies commenced in July 2009. To date, it is estimated that at least €22 million of the total value of the programme has already been invested in training supports delivered by FÁS.

Minister Cannon said that:

My Department, in consultation with relevant State Agencies, is developing programmes to implement the balance of this funding and I will make a further announcement on the specific interventions that will be made available and on how eligible persons will be informed in the next couple of weeks.

This EGF support will, when fully approved by the EU, assist us significantly in funding these measures at a time when the public finances are under major pressure.

A large proportion of the training currently being implemented focuses on redundant apprentice training programmes with an estimated €15 million being spent to provide practical supports in this area.

Measures provided to these redundant workers to date include guidance, full, part-time and evening training and further education courses, apprenticeship on- and off-the-job supports, full and part-time third level education programmes and enterprise start-up advisory and financial supports as well as related training and education allowances.

The Irish applications must still be approved by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament with full approval expected by the end of the year. In the interim, measures must be funded exclusively from national sources. In total the Government is committed to providing some €19.25m by the time the relevant EGF programmes expire in June 2012.

Read the full press release here.