EU fund unspent due to ‘inexperience’

The head of the Department of Education has rejected her minister’s claim that maladministration led to loss of more than €30m in dedicated job support.

Brigid McManus, the retiring secretary general, said inexperience and poor communication meant some of the €93m European Globalisation Fund was returned unspent.

This had been released in batches by Brussels to help retrain staff who lost their jobs at Dell, Waterford Crystal, SR Technics, and in the construction industry.