To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the allocation of the European Social Fund.

Dr Farry

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I wish to group questions 5, 6, 7 and 9 — I would have included questions 8 and 11 as well, if the Members were here. I request an additional minute for the answer. The European social fund (ESF) is an open and competitive funding programme. Following the conclusion of the most recent application assessment process, the Department offered funding to 68 applicants. That funding equates to over £112·6 million for the first three years of a seven-year programme. Organisations will receive contributions in the form of 40% from the European Commission, 25% from DEL and 35% from private or public sector match funding. As £180 million worth of applications were originally submitted to the programme, it was inevitable that the Department could not fund all applications. There was insufficient funding to offer all applicants who had scored above the quality threshold. Of the organisations indicating that they wish to deliver provision in West Belfast, seven applicants have been offered funding in the youth priority, eight in the unemployed and inactive priority, and nine in the disability priority. Sixty of the successful applicants were from the community and voluntary sector, with the remaining applicants coming from the statutory or private sectors. Funding to the community and voluntary sector equates to approximately 92% of the total offered. The new programme aims to further drive up skill levels, and this investment in projects across Northern Ireland will provide opportunities to people who face the greatest barriers to work and learning. The funding will help individuals to fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and job prospects. Specifically, the programme will support over 10,000 young people not in education, employment or training; 24,742 participants who are unemployed or economically inactive; and 7,266 people with a disability. Additionally, the programme will provide assistance to 2,340 families. Despite a challenging process and time frame, the Department has been able to complete the ESF assessment process to allow funding to be offered from 1 April.

Mr Sheehan

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an fhreagra sin. I thank the Minister for his answer. I am sure the Minister is aware that West Belfast is one of the most socially and economically deprived and disadvantaged constituencies anywhere in these islands. The loss of funding to these organisations is a body blow to the constituency. Can the Minister do anything to ensure that the essential services provided by these groups are not lost to West Belfast, and will he give a commitment to meet some of the groups that have lost their funding?

Dr Farry

First, I am happy to meet groups to discuss the outcome of the process, but let me clear, as I was in my original answer: we have listed a large number of projects that will be working in the West Belfast constituency. When the Member talks about organisations that have lost their funding, it is important that he and, indeed, the House bear in mind that this is an open and competitive process. While some of the groups that went into this may well have had pre-existing funding from the fund, there was no guarantee — nor, indeed, should anyone have had the expectation — of continued funding from what is a competitive process.

All organisations were judged on their merits. I am satisfied that we have a reasonable geographical balance across Northern Ireland, including west Belfast, which factors in the degree of deprivation in that area compared with some other parts of Northern Ireland. While we cannot guarantee an outcome for particular organisations, overall we have to recognise that the programme has delivered, and we are talking about an expanded programme over the next seven years, compared with what happened previously. We are talking not about cuts but about more money being spent through the different strands of the fund. What we cannot guarantee and manage is that particular organisations will be winners compared with others in a process that is judged on the merit of the applications coming forward.

Mr Speaker

On the matter of the time difficulty, can the Minister indicate, where suitable, that a written answer will be provided? I am conscious that four questions have been grouped and that the individuals have been sitting very patiently. Perhaps you would indicate how you wish to answer. I am wasting more time than I have.

Dr Farry

Sure, OK.

Mrs McKevitt

Does the Minister have accurate figures for the number of people who lost employment as a result of unsuccessful applications to the ESF?

Dr Farry

I am not able to give figures for the individual organisations. They could be collated through any HR1 forms that come through showing redundancies. However, some organisations might be doing different work as well, so it is not entirely clean to disaggregate the job losses that come from not being funded. I again stress that, while we have the unfortunate situation that some organisations lose money and staff, equally, jobs are being created in other organisations elsewhere in the community and voluntary sector because we have expanded funds. Different organisations are taking forward projects from those under the previous round.

Mr Speaker

I apologise to Members who did not get the chance to speak. That took longer than I could afford. That ends the period for listed questions, and we now move on to topical questions.