133 Dr. Lee asked the Minister for Labour if the European Social Fund has given a grant towards the purchase and construction of the Stafford Freeney site in Amiens Street, Dublin 1: if there have been any contributions from the hotel and allied industry towards the purchase and construction of this site; and if so, the contribution in each case.

Financial assistance for capital projects is not available from the European Social Fund, but is available from the European Regional Development Fund. In this regard an application for financial assistance from the European Regional Development Fund towards the cost of the construction of the new CERT headquarters and training centre, on the site purchased from Properties Ltd., and Skyline Properties Ltd., at Amiens Street, Dublin 1 has been forwarded to the European Commission.

The hotel and allied industry already make an annual contribution towards the cost of CERT's training operations. However it has not been the practice to ask industry to make specific contributions towards the cost of purchase or construction of CERT or FÁS training centres, but such contributions would, of course, be welcome.