Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
645. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of submissions that have been made to the regional jobs strategy; and when this strategy is expected to be published. [1766/18]
View answerThe Government is pursuing and preparing a number of complementary strategies which help promote job retention and creation across the regions. For example, since its launch in January 2015, the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) process - coordinated by my Department - is focused on ensuring that all regions of the country can fulfil their enterprise and job creation potential and contribute optimally to national economic performance. The Regional APJs are a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 jobs by 2020, with 135,000 of these located outside of Dublin. Regional employment has grown strongly and four out of five jobs created last year were outside Dublin. Over the same period, employment grew faster in the regions (2.8%) than in Dublin (1.5%).
In this context, my Department played a key role in developing the strategies in the first instance. A key strength of the RAPJs process is its 'ground - up' approach. Each Action Plan was developed following extensive consultation, including well attended regional stakeholder fora, where members of the public, private, and voluntary sectors, in addition to relevant Government departments and bodies were able to actively engage. Involvement of regional partners from both the private and public sector has fostered strong buy-in, a sense of ownership and a strong momentum.
Looking forward, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has prepared a draft National Planning Framework (NPF), the long-term, twenty-year strategy for the spatial development of Ireland. The draft was published for consultation in September last.
There is a strong interdependence between the planning and development of an attractive environment and enterprise development. The concept of 'Place-Making' is a core tenet of Enterprise 2025 - our national enterprise policy statement to 2025. My Department, at official level, is a member of the Inter-Departmental NPF Steering Committee and the NPF’s Econometric and Demographics Working Group. The NPF has also been the subject of discussions at the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Action, of which I am a member.
My Department will contribute to the proposed new Regional and Spatial Economic Strategies (RSESs) being led by the three Regional Assemblies, based on Enterprise 2025 - and officials will be key members of the proposed Senior Advisory Bodies being put in place. My Department contributes in relation to the role of enterprise, the need to cater to the differing development potential and requirements across regions to optimise potential for growth, the importance of economic infrastructure to support economic development, and the combinations of infrastructure and factors that shape the potential of each region.
