Vol. 575 No. 1
93 Mr. O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the priorities of her Department for the coming years in the context of the Estimates for 2004; if her attention has been drawn to the huge interest in these matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27931/03]
The priorities for my Department for the coming period are contained in the Department's statement of strategy 2003-2005, the agreed programme for Government and the Sustaining Progress social partnership agreement 2003-2005. All of the activities outlined in these documents, in so far as they relate to my Department, are priorities which I intend to progress over the period. The estimates for 2004 have been framed with reference to these documents.
My Department's statement of strategy 2003-2005, which was published recently, sets out the mission of working for Government and the people to equitably grow Ireland's competitiveness and quality employment. The statement of strategy has a number of high level goals, further broken down into specific actions and associated performance indicators, which collectively will deliver my Department's mission. In developing the statement of strategy for my Department, the elements of the agreed programme for Government which relate to my Department were taken into account.
Among the priority issues for my Department in 2004 in the context of the estimates, and in line with the ambitions contained in the statement of strategy, is the provision of support for research, technological development and innovation, the promotion of a greater awareness of science, a continuing emphasis on interventions to support both short and long-term unemployed persons, with a view to their reintegration into the labour market, and the establishment of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board on a statutory basis.
