I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 together.
I am informed by IDA Ireland that in the period 2008 to 2014 inclusive, there were a total of 12 IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits by potential investors to counties Cavan and Monaghan. The number of such visits to each county in each year are set out in the following tabular statement A. Enterprise Ireland’s core focus is supporting the internationalisation of indigenous companies and the Agency does not arrange site visits of a type similar to IDA Ireland.
I understand from IDA Ireland that investments resulted from some of these visits, but for reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, the Agency does not comment publicly on the success rate of such site visits.
Details of the gross jobs gains and losses in IDA Ireland client companies in Counties Cavan and Monaghan in each year from 2008 to 2014, inclusive, are set out in the following tabular statement B. The number of permanent full time jobs gained and lost in Enterprise Ireland client companies, in each of those years are shown in tabular statement C.
As the Deputy is aware, the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 was launched on Thursday last, 29 January. This is the fourth annual plan in a multi-year process, which started in 2012. When the First Action Plan for Jobs was launched, unemployment stood at 15.1%. Today it stands at 10.6% and we are on track to exceed our target of 100,000 additional jobs by 2016. We are now setting a goal to bring employment to 2.1 million by 2018 – 2 years ahead of our original target.
In the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey for Q3 2014, unemployment continued to fall in the Border Region (which includes Monaghan and Cavan). The current unemployment rate in the Border Region is 11.7% (down from 17.7% in Q3 2012) a remarkable improvement over the last 2 years. 18,000 extra people are at work in the region over that period.
Meanwhile, I am working with IDA and Enterprise Ireland to get certain projects across the line in the Cavan – Monaghan area which will deliver investment and jobs.
Table A
IDA Ireland-sponsored
Site Visits Cavan/Monaghan (2008-2014):
County
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
Cavan
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
Monaghan
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Table B
Employment for Cavan and Monaghan (2008-2104):
County
|
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
Cavan
|
New Jobs Created (Gross Gains)
|
14
|
30
|
92
|
5
|
10
|
15
|
27
|
Cavan
|
Gross Losses
|
-49
|
-70
|
-71
|
-28
|
-54
|
-8
|
-26
|
Monaghan
|
New Jobs Created (Gross Gains)
|
7
|
7
|
45
|
|
7
|
29
|
13
|
Monaghan
|
Gross Losses
|
-40
|
-18
|
-17
|
-66
|
-11
|
-12
|
-103
|
Table C
Annual Employment Survey Jobs Created and Lost in Enterprise Ireland Client Companies in Cavan & Monaghan 2008-2014
Cavan
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
PFT Gain
|
802
|
73
|
111
|
337
|
374
|
140
|
394
|
PFT Loss
|
-431
|
-896
|
-466
|
-643
|
-244
|
-243
|
-92
|
Monaghan
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
2014
|
PFT Gain
|
293
|
107
|
253
|
344
|
294
|
359
|
382
|
PFT Loss
|
-1038
|
-822
|
-271
|
-275
|
-142
|
-249
|
-107
|