asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that organisations in Donegal have received social employment scheme approval and cannot commence due to a ceiling on recruitment; the steps he proposes to take to overcome this difficulty; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The situation regarding the social employment scheme is that the ambitious target of 10,000 participants contained in the Government's plan Building on Reality was surpassed in June 1986. In order to remain within the 1986 budget it is necessary to restrict the numbers of new participants entering the scheme. Accordingly, recruitment may only occur where sufficient persons have terminated their period of employment under the SES. I am confident that projects approved under the social employment scheme in County Donegal will be cleared to commence over the coming months.

Will the Minister agree that there are many people who have not had the opportunity to participate in the scheme, even though they are on the National Manpower Service list as being eligible? Would it not be a good idea to have an advance policy for the coming years so that people will know in January, February or March whether they will have an opportunity of participating in the scheme? They have been waiting all year to do so.

That would depend upon the amount of budgetary allocation made to the scheme and the ceiling to be set in terms of participants by the Cabinet. I am sure that once those figures emerge the various regional offices will be notified of these allocations and they can then plan accordingly.