Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 May 2013
47. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on the relationship between the increase in the value of enterprises exporting goods and services and the impact on job creation. [24450/13]
View answerIn a small open economy such as Ireland, exports sustain and create jobs. Enterprise Ireland's (EI) objective is to grow jobs in Irish companies by increasing their trade in overseas markets, which in turn will support existing jobs and job creation here. EI works in partnership with Irish enterprises, providing a cohesive set of supports to help them win export sales on global markets.
EI client companies achieved a record €16.2 billion exports in 2012, up from €15.2 billion in 2011. The greatest export gains came from sectors such as Engineering, Software, Internationally-Traded Services and Medical Devices, while the outstanding geographical performance was to the USA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Exports accounted for 54% of EI clients' total sales in 2012, which are now in excess of €30 billion.
Across the wider economy, exports of goods and services from Ireland are now well above pre-crisis levels. The total value of exports from Ireland increased by 5% in 2011 and reached €173 billion. A further 5.5% increase in 2012 saw a new record for Irish exports of €182 billion. We still have one of the most flexible economies in the world and continue to have one of the world’s most highly skilled, highly educated and productive workforces.
The positive impact of increased exports on employment in the Irish economy is beginning to be seen in the job creation figures of EI and IDA. In 2012, EI client companies created a net new 3,338 jobs. This was the Agency’s strongest performance in 6 years. IDA client companies created 6,570 net new jobs representing the best performance in a decade for the Agency.
At the end of 2012, EI companies employed 145,460 people directly on a full-time basis and supported a similar number of indirect jobs in the economy. IDA client companies employed 136,505 people directly in 2012, with a similar impact on supporting jobs in the wider economy.
We will continue to work, through the Enterprise Development Agencies, to increase the growth in overseas markets of goods and services produced in Ireland with a view to improving employment opportunities in Irish based companies.
