Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of jobs that have been created here as a direct result of the ratification of the Lisbon treaty. [7235/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Lisbon Treaty is in force for little more than two months but the question is timely. The European Council met last Thursday, at the initiative of its new President appointed under the Lisbon Treaty, to frame a strategy for Europe's economic recovery. Under the Treaty, the European Council sets the EU's strategic priorities and gives them political impetus at the highest level. President Van Rompuy has been right to identify the securing of economic recovery as one of the main challenges facing the Union.

A discussion is now beginning of EU 2020, a framework to succeed the Lisbon Strategy. Ireland believes that its primary focus should be on sustainable jobs and growth. To attain this it should use a range of policy tools, including measures on competitiveness, support for R and D and innovation, exploiting the full potential of the Single Market and, particularly, employment activation measures and training.

The European Union has been central to economic development and to job creation in Ireland over the nearly four decades of our membership. The impact of the current crisis has been alleviated through coordinated response at the EU level and membership of the eurozone. In January the EU outlined the active labour market measures being put in place to assist redundant workers at the DELL computer manufacturing plant at Raheen, Co. Limerick and at ancillary enterprises in the Mid West region. Funding has been secured by the Government from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for a package of personalised measures to retrain, upskill and offer further entrepreneurial and educational opportunities to up to 2,400 affected workers. The EU Budgetary Authorities recently approved the Irish Government's application for €22.8m, of which the EU will contribute €14.8m and the Government €8m.

This is just one practical example of assisting workers in terms of business start up and other entrepreneurial supports Enterprise Ireland and the County and City Enterprise Boards will provide business start up, business development and other entrepreneurial supports in terms of advice and financial assistance subject to normal eligibility criteria. The timeframe under which EGF funding can be drawn down in these particular circumstances extends until June 2011. An annual EGF budget of €500m is in place until 2013. Since accession to the European Treaty in 1973 Ireland has receives extends until June 2011. An annual EGF budget of €500m is in place until 2013. Since accession to the European Treaty in 1973 Ireland has received European Social Funding of circa €5 billion for training and education programmes under which hundreds of thousands of Irish people have benefited.

I look forward to adoption, probably in March, of the EU 2020 Strategy as a means of positioning the EU, and Ireland, to benefit from international recovery when it comes, and thus create employment.