Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 April 2017
340. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps she is taking to support the creation of jobs through the indigenous sector both in terms of traditional industry and innovative proposals in counties Sligo and Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16914/17]
View answerMy Department, through Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) provide a range of supports to help Irish companies start, grow and export. There are now over 201,000 people employed by EI supported companies across the country. The fact that over 130,000 of those 201,000 jobs are outside of Dublin is significant. Enterprise Ireland client companies support a total of 1,546 jobs in Sligo and 922 jobs in Leitrim.
The objective of Enterprise Ireland’s new ‘Global Ambition’ Strategy 2017-2020 is to support enterprises across the economy, to grow into strong Irish international companies, developing world-leading products and services and exporting them all around the world.
There is a vast range of programmes and supports offered to companies to drive this strategy. These include management capability, leadership and marketing/sales skills as well as promoting innovation and R&D. Investment in these areas is becoming more important as the demands of the marketplace evolve and become tougher.
In terms of supporting traditional industry, my view is that manufacturing in Ireland is still, and will always be, an essential part of a well-balanced economy. Our manufacturers have innovated and moved with the times – and they will continue to do so. Advances in ICT, new materials, biotechnology, fuels, and nanotechnology offer scope for continuous innovation in manufacturing. Together with the opening up of world markets, these advances offer great opportunities for Irish manufacturers.
Manufacturing today is not just about making things anymore. It’s about finding solutions for a more sophisticated and demanding range of customers. It includes research, design, maintenance, sales and marketing, logistics and distribution too. The best way to protect and increase manufacturing jobs is to compete with excellent products and services, using high technology, drawing on design, innovation and our strong science base.
We are placing a particular focus on encouraging startups and small businesses to embrace the culture of innovation that now exists and maximise the benefits of technology.
My Department also ensures that companies can access the right type of funding, appropriate to their stage of development. This ranges from microfinance right through to seed and venture capital, development capital and risk-sharing credit guarantees through the banks.
Enterprise Ireland’s activity across all sectors of the economy is supporting a total of 400,000 directly and indirectly supported jobs.
Furthermore, our 8 Regional Action Plans for Jobs are building on the jobs potential of each region. At local level, the LEOs, supported by EI, are supporting indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs in every county. There has been a number of recent LEO events in Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Cavan to highlight the key areas where clients may be exposed and to provide direction in how they might address these.
I am currently finalising plans for a regional initiative of up to €60m to support collaborative approaches to grow and sustain indigenous enterprise and jobs across the regions. This will be administered by Enterprise Ireland.
