Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will provide details of the €250 million job protection programme; when she expects this scheme to commence; the financial mechanisms being used to fund the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29525/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is proposing to introduce a Temporary Employment Subsidy Scheme. The purpose of this scheme will be to help the economy to retain its productive capacity and help employers to retain the labour, knowledge and skills of the workforce, thereby supporting a faster return to sustainable growth; help employees to retain their jobs, and ensure that economic and fiscal stability is promoted by avoiding the costs of unemployment including statutory redundancy payments and the longer-term cost of social welfare.

It is proposed that the Temporary Employment Subsidy Scheme will apply to companies in the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors that are currently engaged in exporting. In addition in order to qualify for support it is intended that a company must not have been in difficulty on 1 July 2008, and a financial assessment must establish that it is now facing such difficulties as a result of the global and financial economic crisis that redundancies are likely to have to be considered within 12 months. It is also intended that a company must also be judged to be viable and capable of growth in the medium term in order to receive support under the scheme. Enterprise Ireland will be administering the scheme and they will determine whether a company meets the eligibility criteria of the scheme.

It is intended that a national steering committee will be established to oversee the implementation of the scheme comprising representatives of the relevant Government Departments and the Social Partners.

The Government is in discussions with the Social Partners with a view to implementing the Temporary Employment Subsidy Scheme over the coming period. It is intended to have the scheme in operation with the first tranche of payments being made to companies after the summer. The resourcing of this scheme will be determined by Government shortly.