Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on her meeting on 7 May 2009 with the EU Commissioner for Competition, Neelie Kroes, regarding state aid rules and the EU Enterprise Stabilisation Fund. [19822/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I met with Commissioner Kroes on 6 May 2009 and we had a very useful exchange on state aid rules. I thanked the Commissioner for the early approval, granted by the Commission on 14 April, of an Irish scheme submitted under the Commission's Temporary Framework on State Aid. The Framework, which was introduced in response to the global economic crisis, gives Member States increased possibilities to aid companies in a variety of forms e.g. grants, subsidised loans.

The approved scheme is based on the provision in the Framework that allows aid not exceeding €500,000 to be given to companies that were not in difficulty before 1 July 2008 i.e. before the current economic crisis. The approval of the scheme paved the way for Enterprise Ireland to provide support to companies under the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund, which is a national initiative. The Fund will provide an additional €100m in assistance to companies to strengthen their business base. The Fund will provide targeted support for internationally trading companies; particular attention is being paid to supporting viable small and medium sized enterprises engaged in exporting. Funding will be provided primarily in repayable form.