Written answers

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Job Losses

9:00 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which the monies provided from the European Gobalisation Fund for former Dell and associated workers will be allocated and monitored. [1322/10]

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No 63 of 13 October 2009 the way the monies from the EU Globalisation Fund will be allocated to former employees of a company (details supplied); the timeframe involved for spending these funds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1428/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 192 together.

Since the announcement of the DELL and related redundancies in Raheen in January 2009, FAS has already provided guidance service and training courses to over 1,500 workers made redundant. Enterprise Ireland and the local Vocational Education Committees also continue to promote and offer their business advice, grant aid and educational services. A number of affected workers have already enrolled on training courses and in further and third level education at institutions in the Mid-West region to date.

The application for co-funded assistance from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) towards the costs of a personalized package of occupational guidance, training, employment, entrepreneurship and educational measures for workers made redundant at the DELL plant in Raheen, Co. Limerick, and in ancillary enterprises, was made by my Department in mid-June 2009. It was subsequently approved by the European Union budgetary authorities in late December 2009. The transfer of EU funds is anticipated later this month. Provision has been made in my Department's Vote for the national financing element required. The timeframe permitted for eligible expenditure under the Fund is 24 months from the date of submission of an application, or from the date of commencement of relevant measures provided this is no later than 3 months after the application's submission. As such in the case of the DELL related application the latest date for expenditure is September 2011.

My Department will be the managing authority for EGF funding in the State while the Department of Education and Science, FAS and Enterprise Ireland will be designated intermediate bodies for funds transfer, reporting and monitoring purposes. Approved funding will be made available to public beneficiaries delivering services on the ground to the eligible redundant workers. All intermediate bodies shall certify expenditure in their particular area of responsibility and report to my Department. All relevant EU and national accounting and auditing procedures and requirements must be adhered to by the relevant intermediate bodies and public beneficiaries.

It is imperative that the wide range of measures being provided to eligible redundant workers is co-ordinated in the most effective and efficient manner locally and regionally. To that end, I have charged FAS to establish a dedicated EGF Co-ordination Unit in Limerick to ensure that all relevant supports across all service providers are coordinated on the ground in a timely, effective and efficient manner. The Unit shall act as the primary coordination agency for the Department in the implementation of the EGF programme for DELL worker related supports.

The EGF Co-Ordination Unit is now contacting all potential beneficiaries of the Fund from DELL and the other ancillary enterprises to outline the supports on offer. They are also inviting the workers to a 2 days information fair in Limerick early next month at which all service providers will be in attendance to explain their programmes and supports, to answer queries and to provide for course registrations. In parallel, a steering group is being established to include worker representative bodies in order to ensure that the views of the redundant workers and other key stakeholders are made known and fed into the implementation process.

The Minister for Labour Affairs will be meeting the DELL Redundant Workers Association as part of this process in the coming days. A review of the operation of the Fund shall be undertaken by the Department in June 2010.

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her plans to apply for funding from the European Globalisation Fund with respect to regions other than the mid-west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1323/10]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To date my Department has made two applications, and is in the process of finalising a third application, for assistance under the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). These applications are in relation to major redundancies at the DELL plant in Raheen, Co. Limerick, the Waterford Crystal plant in Kilbarry, Co. Waterford and the S R Technics facility at Dublin Airport.

Strict eligibility criteria apply under the EGF Regulation in order for a Member State to sustain the making of an application for assistance under the Fund. My Department continues to monitor all relevant redundancy and related information sources on a national basis to ensure that where it is considered that a viable application can be made and sustained under the EGF, irrespective of geographic location, it will be duly made.

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