Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2017
48. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which she continues to press for an even and balanced investment in job creation throughout all regions here, with a view to ensuring the ongoing viability of communities throughout the regions including the availability of adequate employment opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30486/17]
View answerThe Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, 135,000 of which are outside of Dublin.
A key objective of each of the plans is to have a further 10 to 15 per cent at work in each region by 2020, with the unemployment rate of each region within one per cent of the national average.
Progress to date is good and employment continues to grow strongly. Encouragingly, the unemployment rate has fallen in all regions in the past year while, during the same period, more than three out of every four new jobs created were outside Dublin.
In 2016, almost two thirds of new jobs created by Enterprise Ireland supported companies, and over half of those created by IDA supported companies, were outside Dublin.
To support regional enterprise development, additional funding of up to €60m is being rolled out by Enterprise Ireland over the next 4 years to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at a national, regional and county level.
This regional competitive fund will support the ambition, goals and implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs
In addition, additional funding of €150m is being made available to the IDA to support its Regional Property Programme and drive job creation in the multi-national sector.
