Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 60: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding she provided to maintain jobs in small industries which has been committed and paid out to date in 2009; if she is satisfied that the funding is tailored towards the smaller units that are critical, particularly in areas such as the counties of Cavan and Monaghan. [40774/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's continuous support for enterprises arises through maintaining a positive business environment and through particular interventions from the State development agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the County and City Enterprise Boards.

Enterprise Ireland is focused on providing support to clients to maximise export sales and consequently employment, by investing in companies to help them plan strategy, build capability, access markets and research, finance start-ups and innovation. Continued support of our indigenous exporting companies is an indirect investment in creating and sustaining employment.

Enterprise Ireland has approved support of over €7.5m to individual Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) based in counties Cavan and Monaghan in 2009. A total of €1m of the total €7.5m has been supported under the Government's Enterprise Stabilisation Fund.

I launched the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund earlier this year. The Fund, administered by Enterprise Ireland, is an initiative aimed at supporting viable but vulnerable exporting companies who are experiencing difficulties because of the current economic climate.

To date in 2009, Enterprise Ireland has made payments totalling €4,228,845 directly to companies in counties Cavan and Monaghan. €2,161,973 was paid directly to SMEs in Cavan and €2,066,872 in Co. Monaghan.

In addition, Enterprise Ireland has invested €1,882,846 in six Community Enterprise Centres (CECs) in county Cavan and has invested €1,308,033 in seven Community Enterprise Centres in county Monaghan.

This week I announced that 7,478 jobs are to receive direct support under the first round of the Employment Subsidy Scheme (ESS). A total of 453 companies engaged in manufacturing and/or internationally traded services are being informed of their successful applications. The Scheme provides a subsidy of €9,100 over fifteen months per qualifying employee in vulnerable but viable firms. Due to a lower than anticipated take-up, I will be announcing details of a second broader call for ESS applications with extended eligibility criteria open to both exporting and non-exporting firms next week.

In addition, to Enterprise Ireland, the County Enterprise Boards play a pivotal role in stimulating local economic development and entrepreneurship and in developing, sustaining and growing the micro-enterprise sector. To date in 2009, total amounts of €247,542 and €287,494 have been paid out by the CEBs of Cavan and Monaghan respectively.