Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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Question 174: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application for funding from the EU's Globalisation Fund for former SRT workers; if he has been informed that the EU Commission has agreed in principle to approve a globalisation fund award for ex-SRT workers and to provide the proposed magnitude of this award; the way in which globalisation funding would be dispersed to ex-SRT workers and if the structures are in place to facilitate potential EU funding for former SRT employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33154/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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On 22nd September 2010 the European Commission announced its approval of an application from Ireland for European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) co-financing assistance in support of redundant workers formerly employed at the S R Technics aircraft maintenance facility at Dublin airport.

The EGF application is for a total of €11.46m of which the EU contribution sought is €7.45m. The application remains to be approved by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

In the interim national funding, in anticipation of subsequent EU reimbursement up to specified limits, is being provided for the continued roll-out of measures across a wide range of service providers currently which former S R Technics workers may avail of. These measures include occupational guidance, training, educational opportunities and enterprise supports.

For example, last week the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Lifelong Learning, announced a new programme which commenced earlier this week to facilitate former S R Technics apprentices to complete the on-the-job phases of their apprenticeships with the Air Corps which will be co-financed with EGF support.

Tenders have been received under a public tendering exercise for a national coordinator for EGF implementation and this process will be brought to completion shortly. In the interim all State agencies and relevant educational bodies involved in service provision for redundant S R Technics workers have met to discuss how the current measures available can be intensified for the remaining period of anticipated EGF funding.

It is intended that an information event, such as was previously run last December, will be run in the next few weeks to fully inform redundant S R Technics workers of the services being made available. All eligible redundant workers will be contacted individually in this regard.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if he will support the case of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33467/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The formal decision of the European budgetary authorities stipulates that the financial contribution from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund approved in support of redundant workers at the Dell plant in Raheen, Co. Limerick and ancillary enterprises must be spent before 29th June 2011. The Fund, including national contributions, may finance measures put in place to assist eligible redundant workers since the announcement of their redundancy in early 2009.

The emphasis in implementing measures supported by the Fund remains focused on the continued provision of supports to individual redundant workers in the areas of upskilling, retraining, educational opportunities and enterprise supports rather than on a total expenditure figure.