Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 December 2012
223. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to bring together local and regional employment agencies and the private sector in a formalised structure to target the weaknesses in particular regions on an ongoing basis to help to tackle the unemployment crisis in different regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55059/12]
View answerThe Government is tackling unemployment generally through the twin strategies of the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work. The aim of the Action Pan for Jobs is to support the creation of 100,000 net new jobs by 2016, while the objective of Pathways to Work is to ensure that as many of those jobs as possible go to those who are currently unemployed. The Government’s approach is a national one across all regions and there are no plans to set up Regional Task Forces.
The Action Plan contains over 270 individual actions to be delivered in 2012, spanning all Government Departments and 36 State agencies. The 270 actions are broken down further into Quarterly deliverables or “measures” which are reported on at the end of each Quarter. Approximately 60% of the measures in the Action Plan for Jobs are for delivery by my Department or its agencies. To the end of the third Quarter this year, around 130 measures had been implemented by my Department and its agencies, giving a delivery rate of approximately 97%.
Some significant objectives have been realised, including the establishment of a Microfinance Fund for small business, the introduction of a Partial Credit Guarantee scheme, new supports for first time exporters, the launch of a new Women-In-Business Programme, the simplification and extension of the Employer’s PRSI Exemption Scheme, the launch of a National Broadband Plan, the piloting of a Health Innovation Hub, and work being undertaken to develop sectors such as Cloud Computing, Digital Games, Manufacturing, and the Green Economy.
So far this year, the IDA has announced investments with the potential to create more than 9,000 further jobs as these projects come on stream. In the first eight months of this year, a total of 7,094 job commitments over the next three years, linked to Enterprise Ireland approvals to client companies, were secured.
Ensuring that more micro and small businesses can start up, expand and export is a key pillar of the Government’s plans for jobs and growth. On 21 November, I announced that primary legislation will be drafted to dissolve the existing County and City Enterprise Boards and create an enhanced national micro enterprise support model, delivered through Local Enterprise Offices to be established in each Local Authority office.
The labour market activation measures outlined in Pathways to Work include over 85,000 job placements and work experience places to be delivered this year by the Department of Social Protection, and over 450,000 training and education places to be delivered by the Department of Education and Skills. The Pathways to Work initiative has an objective of ensuring that at least 75,000 of those currently long-term unemployed will move into employment by 2015. It also aims to reduce the average time spent on the Live Register from 21 months, to less than 12 months by the end of 2015.
We will continue to do all we can to facilitate the return to work of those who have lost their jobs. I am currently preparing the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs on behalf of the Government, and in that context, will be exploring further measures which can be taken to transform our economy and support job creation.
