€55m retraining funds 'may have to be returned'

In June of last year the Fianna Fáil/Green Government applied for retraining funding for 9,000 named unemployed construction workers.

EU funding of €35m was approved to be spent on retraining on nearly 6,000 of these, with a further funding injection from the Government bringing the total up to €55m. Monies from the fund must be used within 24 months of the initial application, or returned to Brussels. However final approval is not likely until the end of the year, leaving six months before all monies must be spent.

But the money can only be spent on the named individuals - and Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty says that's where the problem lies.

“Today the Government admitted that ‘maladministration’ has undermined the rolling out of a €55m EU retraining programme for redundant workers," Deputy Doherty said.

“However, more than a year has passed since the funding was applied for and the Department of Education has not even contacted any of these individuals.

"Nor has the Department conducted a detailed assessment of the workers training needs. Indeed the Department does not even know if any of these workers have emigrated.

"As a result a significant portion of the €55m may be returned to Brussels and thousands of unemployed workers will lose out."

Education and Skills Minister Ruairi Quinn admitted that the administration of this and similar schemes for Dell and SR Technics has been botched.

"I want to share with the deputy my concern about the maladministration of this and other programmes by the previous administration," Minister Quinn said.

"It is not a satisfactory situation.

"What precisely we can do at this point in time, I'm not sure."

He apologised to the workers and said every effort was being made to sort the situation.