Construction workers have been seriously short changed because a series of delays by the Irish Government have made it "impossible" to spend the money on time, reveals the Irish Independent.

The EU fund of €25m earmarked to support 8,800 workers with training, education, career guidance or to set up new businesses has failed to reach 6,000 of those eligible. The cash received from the total €55m fund will now be returned to Brussels, as directed under EU rules, whereby the money had to be spent during a now expired two-year window.

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Sources close to the construction programme said it was "impossible" to spend all the money because there was just seven months allocated to roll out the massive scheme.

The construction application was lodged in June 2010 and had to be resubmitted a number of times after that with Brussels records showing that almost a full year passed before the final details of Ireland's plan were received.

The Department of Education has blamed the delays on the size and complexity of the programme, as well as "limited staffing and infrastructural resources".

(Hmc)