Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: 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 this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30171/09]

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she has taken to implement the employment subsidy scheme for exporting companies that she recently announced; the take-up of this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30582/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 191 together.

The Government introduced an Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary) in the context of rising unemployment to help employees retain their jobs while at the same time assisting employers in retaining their productive capacity. The purpose of the scheme is to support the maintenance of vulnerable jobs and thereby:

Help the economy retain its productive capacity and employers retain the labour, knowledge and skills of the workforce thereby supporting a faster return to sustainable growth;

Help employees retain their jobs, and

Ensure that economic and fiscal stability is promoted by avoiding the cost of statutory redundancy payments and the longer-term cost of social welfare.

The total potential cost of the Scheme is €250 million of which up to €60 million may be released in 2009. The Scheme provides a subsidy of €9,100 per employee over a 15-month period. The Scheme aims to support up to 27,400 jobs. The scheme applies to vulnerable but viable companies in the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors. It involves the payment of a subsidy to firms on condition that they retain an agreed number of jobs. The scheme is managed by Enterprise Ireland and the closing date for applications wasthe 4th September 2009. These applications are currently being considered by Enterprise Ireland.