Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)

To paraphrase the Minister, it seems that post-2000, particularly in the last two years when the curve got very steep, Enterprise Ireland has been supporting companies it has already supported in the past with the new Enterprise Stabilisation Fund which amounts to €80 million this year. The fund is being used to back up Enterprise Ireland's earlier judgment. What it refers to as viable but vulnerable companies have been supported. Does that not call into question the earlier judgment made? It has supported companies which would now be in trouble if it had not put more money into them. There is a new fund of €80 million for companies Enterprise Ireland has already decided to support, which was certainly a questionable judgment. Because of its Exchequer funding increases from €396 million last year to €420 million, is Enterprise Ireland costing too much to finance? Why is the Exchequer continuously putting money into this State agency which, in turn, has to put that money into companies which it has already backed and which it refers to as viable but vulnerable?

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