Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2015
648. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason an application was not made to the EU Globalisation Adjustment Fund in respect of the former workers of a company (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29628/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the answer to PQ No. 450 of 6th May 2015 on this matter wherein I highlighted that under Regulation (EU) No. 1309/2013 governing the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) a derogation is permitted from the standard minimum number of at least 500 redundancies caused as a result of the adverse impacts of globalisation which is normally required before an EGF application can be made. However, this derogation which is provided for under Article 4(2) of the Regulation requires that a Member State must demonstrate that exceptional circumstances pertain including in terms of the serious impact on employment and the local, regional or national economy. The Department has to date made two successful applications under Article 4(2) in the case of workers made redundant at Andersen Ireland in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick and Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. In both cases the Department was able to produce robust and demonstrable data proving serious economic and local, regional or sectoral labour market impacts that were accepted by the EU authorities. A third such application, linked to the LTAI case, was made recently by the Department on 19th June 2015. The Department carefully examined the relevant factors and criteria in the case of the 140 workers made redundant at Bose, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan based on the current information available in terms of justifying exceptional circumstances. However, the relevant data did not suggest on balance that the redundancies in question could be presented as an exceptional circumstance within the terms of the EGF Regulation. Following recent representations the Department has reviewed the situation and again taken into account, inter alia, the most recent unemployment data. However, this exercise, too, has failed to demonstrate the availability of sufficient data proving serious economic and labour market impacts to enable the Department to make an application to the EU for EGF co-funding support. Outside of the EGF context I understand that considerable assistance continues to be made available locally and regionally to the Bose workers through key service providers such as the Department of Social Protection, the Education and Training Boards and the Local Enterprise Offices.
