Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she has or will meet leaders in industry to maximise job opportunities through economic growth in the short to medium term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16310/16]
View answerA key objective of the Action Plan for Jobs process is to rebuild our economy based on enterprise, talent, innovation and exports. It is enterprises that create jobs and every day I am meeting with business owners, promoters and entrepreneurs. I am convinced there is the ambition, skills and entrepreneurialism in our enterprise base to achieve the stretch targets for job creation set in the Programme for a Partnership Government. We have 155,000 more people at work than when we launched the first Action Plan in 2012, with a strong contribution from both manufacturing and services sectors across the economy to employment growth.
Specifically, private sector involvement is crucial to the development and implementation of both the Action Plan for Jobs and Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiatives. I will shortly be re-convening the Industry Partners Forum, which was established in 2013 to provide strategic advice on the development of each year’s Action Plan for Jobs.
The Regional Implementation Committees, overseeing the implementation of the Regional Action Plans, are made up of key local public and private stakeholders. Enterprise Champions have been appointed in each region to maximise the impact of the plans by communicating the message and vision of the initiative to the local business community, driving the enterprise and jobs focus of the Plans, and securing industry engagement in generating new ideas and actions.
I have asked my Department to initiate the process to develop the 2017 Action Plan for Jobs. We will be consulting widely with external stakeholders, including industry, over the coming months to gather the best ideas to help deliver sustainable full employment.
