Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
53. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures she plans to take to provide and support sustainable jobs in the south east given the high rate of unemployment there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15868/16]
View answerI would like to ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures she plans to take to provide and support sustainable jobs in the south east, given the high rate of unemployment there, and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The economic crisis hit job numbers in the south east badly with the loss of 37,800 jobs between 2007 and 2012. There has been a focused, collaborative approach and a range of reforms have been delivered in the region over recent years. The unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of 20.1% in 2012 to 12.5% in early 2016. Some 204,400 people are at work in the south east, an increase of 23,100 over the period. Over the past three years, employment growth in the region has increased at a faster pace than the national increase. While the current unemployment rate of 12.5% is still unacceptable and too high, the figures demonstrate that the overall trend is one of steady recovery.
I am committed to working with the various agencies and stakeholders in the south east to ensure this trend continues and that sufficient sustainable jobs are ultimately created. The regional action plans for jobs initiative is a concrete example of the targeted approach undertaken to boost regional employment. The core objective of the south east regional action plan, which was launched in September 2015, is to realise the potential to have a further 25,000 at work in the region by 2020. We are aiming to ensure the unemployment rate is within 1% of the State average.
Last Thursday, Waterford Institute of Technology published a report containing statistics and evidence that backed up what we all know about the south east, namely, that it is the forgotten region. There are 6,000 fewer IDA jobs and 7,000 fewer third level places in the south east than in the other regions. The district suffers from brain drain. The population aged under 25 and over 50 is at national norms, while the population between those ages is gone. People who get an education do not return, given that there are no jobs there. We need more than what is in place. We need a task force with specific goals for the south east to target the area and bring us up to the norm. We are 14 years behind the rest of the country and we need specific targets to be brought into place and action to happen to bring us up to the national average, at a minimum.
Deputy Cullinane raised the issue earlier today here. There is a plan. The IDA has 71 client companies in the region employing 12,000 and has recently launched a strategy, Winning: Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019. The IDA positions the south east in the marketplace as an investment location with a strong ecosystem of indigenous and multinational companies operating across a diverse range of sectors. In particular, there are strong-----
We are out of time. We must move on to Topical Issues.
I can furnish the Deputy with the answer.
