Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 102: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties facing exporters here in view of the recent strengthening of the euro against the dollar and sterling; her proposals to help sustain the export sector here and to help it overcome these difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37694/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department, through Enterprise Ireland, is active both in assisting Irish indigenous companies to find new markets for their products and services and to increase their existing level of market share. Encouraging companies to re-orientate towards the Eurozone in the first instance and, for those which are most capable, into areas such as the Gulf, Brazil, India and China, where economies are still growing is a priority. I have been active in leading trade missions to develop new opportunities for Irish exporters and will continue to do so, to both existing long-established markets, to the new EU Member States and also to other emerging high-growth markets, with a view to increasing the share of exports by Irish companies worldwide.

Continuous productivity improvements are essential if Irish companies are to increase their export potential and reach the world-class standards necessary to meet the challenges of the international market place. Sustainable economic recovery will be driven by enterprises focused on increasing their exports of innovative products and services in global markets. To support this, I launched the Enterprise Stabilisation Fund earlier this year, which enables internationally trading companies survive the current global downturn by supporting their drive to reduce costs and, through increased competitiveness, gain sales in overseas markets.

In August 2009, I announced the €250 million Employment Subsidy Scheme. The objective of the scheme is to provide an employment subsidy to vulnerable but viable manufacturing and/or internationally traded services enterprises that are currently engaged in exporting to maintain their full time workforce. This will help the economy retain its productive capacity and employers retain the labour, knowledge and skills of the workforce in a variety of sectors which are under particular pressure as a result of the current global economic situation thereby supporting a faster return to sustainable growth.