Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2015
126. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs created in the past four years at manufacturing and service levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29294/15]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs is having a positive impact on employment in the economy, since the first Plan was launched in early 2012. As of Q1 2015, there were an additional 104,00 at work in the economy since the launch of the first Action Plan for Jobs, which achieved and exceeded the Government’s target of 100,000 extra at work by 2016. The services sector made the largest contribution to the achievement of the Government’s target of 100,000 more at work. Following a number of years of decline in employment from 2007, I am pleased to report that the manufacturing sector has also recorded increases in job numbers since 2011.
In relation to agency assisted firms, the net increase in full-time employment in manufacturing and services since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs to 2014 is 25,665, of which there a was a net increase of 8,051 in manufacturing employment and a net increase of 17,614 in internationally traded services employment. This equates to just under one-third, or 31 per cent, of the net increase in full-time employment in agency assisted firms was in manufacturing and two-thirds of the net increase was in internationally traded services enterprises, since the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs.
Arising from the strategy for the manufacturing sector ‘Making it in Ireland: Manufacturing 2020’, prepared by Forfás and the report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Skills Report on the skills needs for the sector, both of which I launched in 2013, there are now a range of initiatives being progressed by my Department and relevant Agencies to drive the Government’s jobs targets.
To achieve our ambition of sustainable full employment, jobs growth in export oriented manufacturing and services businesses will be essential over the coming years. Manufacturing was a Disruptive Reform in the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 and is a key focus in the 2015 Action Plan for Jobs and also in the Action Plans for Jobs-Regional, with a range of measures designed to support industry growth including encouraging entrepreneurship, further improving our skills base, improving access to finance by SMEs and supporting indigenous companies and foreign-owned manufacturing companies to transform their businesses as part of a National Step Change Initiative. The Manufacturing Development Forum is helping to address the key issues arising from the Strategy recommendations. My Department is also preparing a guide for manufacturing firms to state support available. These initiatives are important to growing and sustaining the competitiveness of existing enterprises, to sustaining employment and to attracting new investment.
