Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
62. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under national strategic outcome No. 5 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30884/23]
View answerThe Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF).
The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of these NSOs, including NSO 5 which relates to a Strong Economy supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills.
NSO 5 aims to maintain and enhance Ireland's status as a competitive, innovative and resilient enterprise base providing high-quality jobs and employment opportunities for people to live and prosper in all regions.
In 2022, there were 301,475 people employed in IDA supported employment, with a further 218,178 in Enterprise Ireland supported employment. The White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030, published in December 2022, outlines a vision to enable Irish-based enterprise to succeed. Success will be determined through competitive advantage founded on sustainability, innovation and productivity and delivering rewarding jobs and livelihoods.
Ireland's foreign direct investment base has shown continued resilience with over 32,400 jobs created in 2022 in IDA supported client companies. More than half (52%) of IDA investments in 2022 went to regional locations. There were over 19,600 new jobs created by Enterprise Ireland supported companies in 2022.
The Government and I welcome the recent news that Ireland has ranked overall 2nd in the 2023 IMD World Competitive Rankings, which assesses and ranks 64 economies around the world based on their ability to create and maintain a competitive business environment. The ranking underlines the continued improvement in Ireland’s fiscal position, our strong national income growth and increased foreign direct investment.
