Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 640: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will communicate with the Department of Social Protection as to the cost to the Exchequer of social welfare assistance required for former employees of a company (details supplied) in County Donegal; if he will ask for a report from the Department of Social Protection to enable him to make an assessment on the net cost if any to the State of providing financial assistance to the operations of the ferry in order to keep its employees in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31273/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The cost to the Exchequer of social welfare assistance paid to former employees of this private commecial ferry company is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection and my Department has no role in relation to this matter.

As I previously advised the Deputy on 13th October 2011, it is not the practice of my Department to subsidise loss-making ferry services nor are there any funds available to my Department for this purpose.