Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 72: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the interim report of the mid west task force established following the announcement of job losses at a company (details supplied) in County Limerick; the action she has taken arising from the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41065/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Mid-West Task Force, which I established under the Chairmanship of Mr Denis Brosnan, completed an interim Report and presented it to me on the 2nd of July.

The wide range of recommendations in the report cover both local and national issues. In that respect, the Government has been responding to the economic downturn generally and has taken numerous initiatives, for example in relation to competitiveness and cost competitiveness, industrial employment stabilization, and employment activation measures. All of these measures have benefited regions affected by or threatened with job losses, including the Mid West region. Workers in the Mid West are the subject of a substantial package assembled by the Government in response to the redundancies arising from developments at Dell in Limerick and knock-on effects in other companies in the region. The package addresses many of the issues raised in the interim Task Force recommendations and it is expected to be co-funded by the European Union under an application I have made to the EU Globalisation Fund which is currently being decided on at EU level, with a decision expected soon.

In addition to the measures mentioned above, the state agencies IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and the County Enterprise Boards have redoubled their efforts to stimulate industrial employment in the Mid West region. For example, IDA is supporting eight industrial projects with a job potential of 1,073 which were announced by multinational companies in the Mid West in 2008 and 2009 and are now being brought into operation.

The measures mentioned above are outlined more fully in an initial response to its recommendations which I sent to the Task Force in late September. Given the wide range of recommendations in the report, I have also brought the report to the attention of my colleagues in Cabinet and it is currently being further considered in a number of other Government Departments as well as in my own Department. Ministers will, in the context of finalising their spending proposals for 2010, consider what further measures can be taken in response to the Task Force recommendations. I had asked the Task Force to feed into this process by indicating items in their recommendations which they see as having particular potential for the Mid West region. I am now examining its response, which has just been received, and I will also bring it immediately to the attention of the other Ministers who are examining the Task Force's interim recommendations.

I am very grateful for the work Mr Brosnan and the other members of the Task Force have undertaken to date. I shall continue to keep the Task Force informed on the Government's work on matters covered in the interim recommendations. The Task Force has identified a number of issues for further study in its Final Report which I look forward to receiving early in 2010.