281. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the projects and programmes with her Department which have been allocated funding under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme; the funds drawn down to date in each instance; the profiled drawdown in each of the forthcoming years of the programme; the steps she is taking to ensure that projects and programmes are completed within the specified timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37794/24]

The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a voluntary work experience and training program for unemployed jobseekers receiving a qualifying social welfare payment. Launched in July 2021, it is part of Pathways to Work 2021-2025 and funding for the training element of WPEP was included in the Government’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) in its application to the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. The original funding allocation of €96m was based on 10,000 participants on WPEP, of which €27m was allocated to cover the training requirement of the programme via the National Training Fund.

As of September 2024, there were 1,192 approved participants, with 53% female and 47% male. The largest age cohort is the Under 25-29 group, making up 41% of WPEP participants. 42% of participants have progressed to employment or education.

Despite the positive outcomes from the programme, the demand for WPEP was not as high as anticipated due to the strong labour market performance and WPEP was removed from the NRRP in 2023, following a review.