Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2017
71. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which she remains satisfied that the manufacturing and service sectors remain capable of withstanding any negative impact arising from Brexit; if every effort continues to be made to replenish and replace losses arising from the debate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30684/17]
View answerThe Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) contains a suite of actions to support enterprise development and job creation in manufacturing and services sectors, and APJ 2017 contains a chapter dedicated to responding to Brexit. According to the latest data from the CSO, unemployment has decreased to 6.4% in Q1 2017. This is the nineteenth quarter in succession where unemployment has declined on an annual basis. Employment is up in the industry sector, as well as in key services sectors such as transportation, construction, wholesale/retail, professional/scientific/technical activities, and tourism-related services. All of this demonstrates a resilience in manufacturing and services sectors despite uncertainties arising from Brexit and other developments.
Every effort will continue to be made by my Department and Agencies to maximize employment across all sectors and regions. My Department, through Enterprise Ireland (EI) provides a range of supports to help Irish manufacturing and services companies start, grow and export. There are now over 201,000 people employed by EI supported companies across the country, an all-time high for the Agency. IDA Ireland reported a second consecutive record year in 2016. 199,877 people are now employed in IDA Ireland supported manufacturing and services companies, up from 188,035 in 2015.
Regarding opportunities arising from Brexit, my responsibility, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, is to ensure that Ireland as a whole is best placed to capitalise on potential foreign direct investment opportunities that may emerge on account of Brexit. We will continue to focus on assisting Irish owned companies to build capabilities and to enter new geographic markets with innovative products and services. That is why I secured significant additional funding for both agencies, to help better respond to the challenges and opportunities Brexit may present.
