asked the Minister for Labour the action he proposes to take to ensure that the social employment scheme is available nationally.

The Social Employment Scheme has always been available nationally through voluntary bodies and public authorities. A regional quota system is in operation to ensure an equitable spread of the limited resources throughout the country.

Previous difficulties in relation to applications from local authorities appear now to have been overcome. Because of financial constraints, applications have to be deferred. I am reviewing the position to see if any action can be taken to ameliorate the situation.

Would the Minister agree that the standard that is applied varies very dramatically from local authority to local authority? Does he agree that projects approved without difficulty in some local authority areas may be quite incapable of getting off the ground in others? What steps does he propose to take to ensure equal access by the long-term unemployed across the country?

As I have said, a national quota system is in operation to ensure an equitable spread throughout the regions. In the new regional offices I am sure that attention will be paid by the new administration to help to alleviate any problems that may have arisen in that regard.

Has the Minister the figures for the numbers employed, the take-up by different local authorities? If he has, will he confirm that the figures for the largest local authority make very peculiar reading?

It seems it was estimated that there would be 12,400 people on the scheme. In fact, the scheme was overrecruited. I have not a breakdown of figures from region to region.

Does the Minister know how many people have been taken on by Dublin Corporation since the commencement of the scheme?

I do not have information on the various areas, but have an overall figure. The social employment scheme has a budget of £43.410 million, including and ESF contribution of £39.130 million Exchequer funding. The amount provides for 9,600 people being accommodated at any one time.

Does the Minister know how many people were employed by Dublin Corporation?

I do not have that information.

These are rather specific questions.

The Deputy will have to put down a specific question. As the Deputy knows, there is a monitoring committee in operation which has representation from ICTU and other bodies. They monitor the situation. The problem in relation to local authorities appears to have been resolved satisfactorily in May of this year.

I call Question No. 9.

Could the Minister confirm or deny a recent report in the Cork Evening Echo to the effect that social employment scheme funds have been exhausted and that no further recruitment of the long-term unemployed can be made in the Cork area?

As I have said, I do not have details.

This is peculiar to a particular region.

In May there were more people in the scheme than it was anticipated would be in it.

If the Evening Echo has it, it must be true.

That report stated that the fund was exhausted. Can the Minister deny or confirm that? It said no further employment could be given to the long-term unemployed in the Cork area. That report was published only last week in the Cork Evening Echo.

I do not have specific information about the Cork area, or any other area. I have the overall information to which the question relates. If the Deputy has a query in relation to the Cork area, I suggest that he puts down a question to the Minister for Labour, or speak to him on the issue. The information with which I have been supplied here is in reply to Deputy Birmingham's question which is in the broad context.

And the fund is not exhausted?

Yes.