EGF Managing Authority

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is the Managing Authority for the EGF in Ireland. It has overall responsibility for managing and overseeing the delivery of programmes co-funded by the EGF. It is also the body charged with submitting both EGF applications and final reports on EGF funded programmes to the European Commission.

The Managing Authority liaises with and monitors intermediate bodies, public beneficiary bodies and service providers responsible for delivering approved programme measures to eligible redundant workers. These bodies include the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS, Education and Training Boards, the Higher Education Authority, and Local Enterprise Offices.

The Managing Authority is responsible for preparing and submitting applications for support from the EGF. In doing this it consults with relevant Government Departments, State Agencies, educational bodies, and worker representatives. It also involves monitoring large scale redundancies and collecting data from a variety of external sources to assess whether a sustainable EGF application can be made.

In accordance with the Regulations establishing the EGF, the role of the Managing Authority involves ensuring the quality of implementation of EGF programmes in Ireland. This in turn involves:

• enabling the delivery of services and programmes co-financed by the EGF and ensuring the accuracy of associated expenditure claims;
• examining and validating interim EGF claims submitted to it by relevant service providers through designated intermediate bodies; and,
• ensuring that the systems of management and financial control of the intermediate bodies and service providers charged with delivering programmes to EGF-eligible workers are established and meet EGF Regulations.

The Managing Authority is involved in informing current and future EGF policy at EU level and in liaising with the European Commission and other Member States on the operation of the EGF.