Robin Swann, the Ulster Unionist Party MLA for North Antrim and chair of the Stormont Employment and Learning committee, has highlighted the importance of the European Social Fund in local community development.  Proposing a motion in the Assembly, he called on the Department for Employment and Learning to learn from recent mistakes on the delivery of the programme.

Mr Swann said:

 “The first concern facing our voluntary and community sector with regard to the current programme is the slow process of payments and vouching. Two weeks ago, I met an organisation that had £400,000 outstanding for a programme that started in April. For many voluntary and community organisations, that sort of money and cash flow is simply unsustainable and unworkable. I was informed that, last week, some moneys were forthcoming. The Minister intervened a number of weeks ago and offered a 50% upfront payment for applications that had yet to be vouched. That sticking-plaster approach, which many in the community and voluntary sector are concerned about, needs to be rectified and a proper vouching and verification system needs to get up and running as soon as possible. Many point out that the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) process, which is an element of the EU structural funds that is administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, has a target of 35 days from claim submitted to payment in bank. That should be the Department for Employment and Learning's process and standard for the ESF process.

“The second main concern with the new project is tutor qualifications. There is a requirement that all tutors delivering voluntary and community sector courses must go through a course at Ulster University. The course can take up to 150 students at one time and is now fully booked for the next two years. The Department's approach to the qualification smacks of inconsistency, and neither college lecturers nor university professors are required to have that level of qualification. When a voluntary or community organisation employs a tutor who is also employed by a college, the tutor still has to have that qualification. If, however, a voluntary or community organisation employs a tutor via a college, he or she does not. I hope that the Minister will look at that inconsistency and iron it out. Those concerns were raised in the ESF stakeholder forum.

“Two judicial reviews have been taken out against the Department over the administration of the fund, and whilst it is disappointing that the Minister could not update the Assembly on this issue, I would hope that lessons have been learned.  As my motion, which received unanimous support said, the Department for Employment and Learning must ensure that it works in partnership with the community and voluntary sector to deliver the European Social Fund programme, efficiently and effectively.”