The Governing Council approves the allocation of 73.4 million euros for two calls for education grants

• The Government Spokesperson, María Ubarretxena, has announced funding of 72 million euros to help families cover the costs of their children's non-university education, and 1.4 million euros to semi-private schools to assist with the substitution of teachers on leave

Basque Government Spokesperson María Ubarretxena held the customary press conference at midday today, providing an account of the agreements adopted by the meeting of the Governing Council held this morning.

Ubarretxena pointed out that two calls for applications for grants in the field of education have been approved for a total of 73.4 million euros. The Governing Council has given the go-ahead for an investment of 72 million euros to call for grants to defray the families costs to cover the non-university education of their children. It is a call for applications that far exceeds the last, with an extra 4 million euros in funding made available, and which includes changes in the scale. In the words of María Ubarretxena, ''it better adapts to cases of special educational needs and will lead to an increase in the number of families accessing the grants, although access is guaranteed for all those families who meet the requirements''.

In addition, a call for applications has been approved for grants for semi-private schools to assist with the replacement of teachers who have been provided leave to spend their time learning or improving their language skills in Basque, within the framework of the Irale programme. 1.4 million will be ringfenced for this funding.

OTHER AGREEMENTS ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

The Spokesperson also announced that the Governing Council, at the proposal of the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries has approved a line of subsidies of 1.2 million euros to promote and encourage agri-food cooperatives as part of the Kooperatu programme. The programme will be implemented in coordination with the Department of Economy, Labour and Employment. In the words of the Spokesperson, María Ubarretxena, ''these subsidies will be non-refundable and are intended to promote economic collaboration in business groups and inter-cooperative agreements''.

The green light has also been given to increase the total amount of subsidies granted by the Basque Employment Service, Lanbide, by almost 400,000 euros to finance various experimental support programmes for the social and employment integration of persons at risk of exclusion such as persons with mental illness, young people with poor qualifications or those coming from the protection system. Ubarretxena stressed that ''with this decision, it will be possible to finance the implementation of these projects for a further six months and guarantee the effective provision of the support required by the beneficiaries''.

The Basque Government has also approved the second payment of subsidies to political parties and groupings with representation in the Basque Parliament to finance their ordinary running costs. This is the payment for the period from 22 April to 31 December this year, amounting to a sum of more than 3.1 million euros. Given the calling of Basque Parliamentary elections on 21 April, the allocation was divided into two periods, this being the payment corresponding to the second period.

Finally, Ubarretxena announced that, within the Governing Council, new appointments and departures have also been approved.