asked the Minister for Labour the precise increased job content to date in respect of (a) the Ballyfermot community survey; (b) the construction industry apprenticeship recruitment scheme; and (c) the environment improvement schemes programmes; the total amount expended to date on each of these projects under the £5 million youth employment budget allocation.

: The information requested by the Deputy is available up to end of April only.

Details of the scheme (c) were circulated to local authorities on 23 February and they were asked to suggest suitable projects by end of March. The period of effective operation is, therefore, very short. The number employed on the environmental improvement schemes up to end of April was 250 involving an expenditure of £75,000. Present projections of employment under the scheme to end of July, however, amount to 1,283.

The intake of apprentices under scheme (b) in the month of April was only five at a cost of £1,000 but I would hope for a significant improvement in this figure when the school year ends.

Up to date the number employed on the Ballyfermot Community Survey has been 33 and expenditure £7,500.

: When will the Ballyfermot Community Survey be completed?

: It was hoped that it would be completed by the end of May but I understand it will not be completed until some time beyond that date.

: Can we take it that the 33 jobs which have been created will then be abolished?

: Does the Minister not concede it is a matter of very serious concern that, notwithstanding the holy hell kicked up by the construction industry representatives in the past few years about what they would do if they got the chance to employ people, under the scheme proposed they have employed precisely five new apprentices at a cost of £1,000, that the time has come for him to go back to the CIF and ask them what they were howling about?

: I too am disappointed with the progress of this scheme to date. I would urge Deputies who are members of local authorities to impress on their local authorities that these people should be recruited without delay.