Heather Humphreys, TD

To ask the Minister for Finance if he has any remit to protect consumers who contribute to savings clubs over a period of 12 months in cases where the company may go into liquidation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will open up retraining facilities provided by his Department to persons who are unemployed but not eligible for jobseeker's allowance due to their partner or spouse earning a low to middle income salary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Finance if he has any remit to protect consumers who contribute to savings clubs over a period of 12 months in cases where the company may go into liquidation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will open up retraining facilities provided by his Department to persons who are unemployed but not eligible for jobseeker's allowance due to their partner or spouse earning a low to middle income salary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Fine Gael's newly elected TD, Helen McEntee, has thanked her supporters and all of those who voted for her, as she takes up her seat in Dáil Eireann.

To ask the Minister for Finance if, in view of the new implications of the two-pack regulations, he will indicate the date in September or October on which the draft budget will be published; if this draft budget will be debated and/or voted on by the Oireachtas; if the final budget and Finance Bill will pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas in early December 2013 and February 2014 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

To ask the Minister for Finance if he will clarify the impact the tax change on maternity benefit will have on the maternity benefit of women who receive no top up from the employer and are dependent solely on statutory maternity benefit.

Fine Gael Cork North West Deputy, Áine Collins, has today (Tuesday) said recent figures from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, which show that in excess of 4,000 net jobs have been created by Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA-supported companies since Fine Gael and Labour came to power, are proof that the Government’s jobs strategy is working. “In the last two years, the number of jobs being created in Enterprise Ireland and IDA-supported companies has resulted in thousands of people getting back to work. Over the last 15 months we have seen an increase of 1,000 jobs per month being created in the private sector, with 2012 registering the first annual increase in employment in five years.