Vol. 420 No. 6
195 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Labour if he intends to extend the enterprise scheme to prospective business persons who have been made redundant from their employment and who wish to set up in business without first signing on at the local employment exchange; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Enterprise Scheme is designed to encourage unemployed persons in receipt of unemployment compensation to set up enterprises and become financially independent of the State. In this way, expenditure on the scheme through the Department of Labour is offset by savings in expenditure through the Department of Social Welfare.
I have no plans to amend the scheme along the lines suggested by the Deputy.
