Vol. 442 No. 2
34 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of firms which have been assisted under the auspices of the job protection unit since its establishment; their combined employment; the scale of assistance provided; and the proportion of these firms which has successfully overcome the threat to employment.
55 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of firms which have been assisted under the auspices of the job protection unit since its establishment; their combined employment; the scale of assistance provided; and the proportion of these firms which have successfully overcome the threat to employment.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 55 together.
Since its establishment within the Department of Enterprise and Employment, under the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Competitiveness and Employment Protection Unit has dealt with 85 companies, employing nearly 4,500 persons. The scale of the unit's activities has involved the provision of the full support and advice available under the whole range of State programmes for industry and business.
The unit has also, in the context of confidentiality, advised and directed individual firms with difficulties in the areas of capital funding, financial control and management. These problems are common to many firms in the indigenous manufacturing sector, from where the majority of inquiries come.
At the establishment of a unit, I noted that:
The early notification of difficulties will be important for helping in overcoming them. Efforts are being made by me and my Department to encourage and assist the early identification of problems.
Accordingly, the main thrust of the unit's interaction with firms is toward early and timely contact with a company, in order to overcome anticipated difficulties.
In the majority of cases, where a threat to employment was cited, it was possible to resolve the threat through addressing the underlying causes. In the remaining cases where redundancies may have been implemented, the notification to the unit was either insufficiently timely or beyond the scope of the unit, or my Department, to produce solutions. I am satisfied, therefore, that the majority of cases where companies have been in contact with the unit, the outcome for the company concerned was positive.
