Government struggles to match EU in €901m jobs funding scheme

A substantial share of the €901m from the EU designed to create jobs could be in jeopardy as some government departments may not be able to raise the matching funds, the European Commission said.

A report at the halfway mark on how every EU member is spending the €347bn in structural funds suggests it has helped 2.4m people find work, created 400,000 jobs in SMEs, supported 53,000 start-ups and helped fund broadband, water, transport, and research.

However, when the projects for Ireland were first earmarked in 2007, unemployment was at an all-time low and expected to decrease further, and priorities were different.