28 Márta 2012, 17:00
At its meeting tomorrow the PAC will examine the impact of two schemes that were introduced in 2009 to help small firms to retain employments during the economic downturn. These schemes cost €196 million.
The examination by the Committee will focus on the impact of these schemes and whether Enterprise Ireland could have targeted assistance to firms where the risk of job losses was highest.
Chairman of the Committee John Mc Guinness outlined that while the schemes were an emergency measure it is important that we establish the extent to which they were effective.
Deputy McGuinness said: “It is essential that where taxpayers’ money is being used to subsidise any enterprise that it provides value for money. In this case the Committee will follow up to ensure that commitments to retain employees were delivered. In addition, we need to establish how successful applicants were chosen so as to ensure that only those firms where there was a genuine risk of redundancies were given assistance.”
The Committee will also examine the impact of the 35 County and City Enterprise Boards where almost 39,000 jobs have been grant aided since the boards were established in 1993. Deputy McGuinness outlined that it appeared that some Board were more effective than others especially in terms of the cost per job supported were there was a variation of between €4000 and €10,000.
“At a time when these boards are facing dissolution, we need to examine how the State can effectively support micro enterprises that employ ten people or less. The Boards have played a valuable role in job creation and the Committee will examine how the whole system can do better with less,” said Deputy McGuinness.
John Murphy, the Accounting Officer at the Department of Jobs and Innovation and his senior officials will be called as witnesses to this meeting which will take place tomorrow in Committee Room 1 in Leinster House at 10am, tomorrow, 29th April.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI
Ends
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee of Public Accounts
Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Paschal Donohoe,
Anne Ferris,
Simon Harris,
Michael McCarthy,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross