Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Dec 1996

Vol. 472 No. 3

Written Answers. - EMU Preparations.

Ivor Callely

Question:

244 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the action, if any, he proposes to take to help Irish companies prepare for economic and monetary union; his views on the success or otherwise of the ADAPT programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23031/96]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

I am aware of the need for actions to be taken to help Irish companies, especially smaller companies with limited resources, prepare for economic and monetary union. In this regard I announced my intention during September of this year to develop an economic and monetary union business preparation awareness campaign. The concept behind this initiative which is supported by the Ministers for Finance and Tourism and Trade, is to help ensure that businesses have all the available information to assist them to prepare appropriately for the challenge which economic and monetary union presents. It is important that such preparation is carried out in an informed way so that they can avoid disruption to their businesses when the changeover to single currency becomes effective and are sufficiently informed so as to enable them to take advantage of the trading opportunities which will undoubtedly arise within the economic and monetary union environment. In launching this initiative I have asked Forfás to co-ordinate an information campaign for enterprise, especially small and medium scale enterprise, on the implications of economic and monetary union for business operations. Forfás is currently in the process of developing this initiative.

In this context a management committee has been established to manage the overall campaign and its direction in the run up to economic and monetary union. Representatives from the Departments of Enterprise and Employment, Finance, Tourism and Trade, the Central Bank and private sector business interests participate on this committee. Additionally a consultative committee has been formed which is representative of a wide spectrum of business and professional representative bodies. This committee will help guide the passage of the campaign and will facilitate a dynamic exchange of information and ideas between the representative bodies and their members on the one hand and the public sector-Government interests on the other. It is planned to launch this initiative early in December.

The Adapt Programme is a European Union human resources initiative supported by the European Social Fund which has the objective of helping European employers and workers anticipate industrial change and respond to its effects. It is not focused specifically on preparing companies for economic and monetary union. Under the Adapt Programme projects are supported by pilot innovative approaches to human resource development on a trans-national basis. Two phases of projects will operate under the programme. The first round of 44 approved projects will run until the end of 1997. My Department will advertise in January 1997 for applications to form the second round of projects which will operate from late 1997 to the end of 1999. The first round of Adapt projects were supported through a project development phase in the latter part of 1995. They began to implement their project proposals in March and April 1996. They are therefore at an early stage of their implementation and it is too early to comment on their success or otherwise. However, I am conscious that interesting issues in the area of human resource development responses to industrial change are being explored by the projects. A preliminary evaluation of Adapt and of its sister initiative Employment which deals with socially excluded target groups, is currently under way and will be available in the new year. This will give a clearer view of the likely success of the programme.