Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 May 2024
175. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which the job retention and creation effort continues to be made in the manufacturing sector throughout Ireland and in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23499/24]
View answerThe Irish manufacturing sector, both FDI and Irish-owned, has performed strongly in recent years and has successfully weathered several shocks in recent years, including Brexit, Covid and the disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to the most recent employment figures from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey, total employment in industry- including manufacturing industry- across the country stood at 320,400 people in the fourth quarter of 2023. This represents an increase of 11%, or an additional 32,500 jobs, compared to the same period in 2019, when total employment in industry stood at 290,000.
Census 2022 provides more detailed information on employment in manufacturing industry in particular, and shows that in 2022, there were 242,857 people working in manufacturing in Ireland, representing a gain of 41,542 jobs since 2016, an increase of 21%. The Census also shows that this national pattern of manufacturing job growth is fully reflected in Mid-East region, including County Kildare, which saw the number of manufacturing jobs increase by 5,288 from 27,624 in 2016 to 32,912 in 2022, an increase of 19%.
These figures demonstrate not only the resilience of our enterprise sector but also the success of Government policies aimed at creating an attractive environment for both indigenous enterprise and foreign direct investment and enhancing the availability of talent to employers.
Agencies under the auspices of my Department are playing a vital role in developing this attractive business environment and strong value proposition which enables global and local companies- including those engaged in manufacturing, to invest and expand successfully in all parts of Ireland.
For example, FDI performance in the Mid-East region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 14%. The Mid-East has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies.
Enterprise Ireland meanwhile made payments of €4,317,913 to client companies in County Kildare in 2023, and an additional €235,785 towards infrastructural investments. This investment has coincided with employment growth of 1.3% during 2023 for Enterprise Ireland supported companies in the county, with 555 jobs created. Total employment among Enterprise Ireland’s 158 supported clients stood at 9,315 in County Kildare in 2023.
Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting job retention and creation in the manufacturing sector throughout Ireland, including County Kildare, and Enterprise Ireland continues to work towards enhancing the significant contribution to growing and maintaining quality jobs in every region and county in Ireland with a focus on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability, and regional development.
IDA and Enterprise Ireland announcements in Kildare over last two years include:
• Intel Ireland, Sep 2023: Intel’s Fab 34 officially opened at their Leixlip campus as they begin deploying the first at scale production using Intel 4 technology, and Intel’s first use of extreme ultraviolet technology in Europe. This Leixlip facility will lead to a doubling of Intel’s manufacturing space in Ireland, resulting in 1,600 Jobs created in Leixlip.
• Diageo, July 2022: The first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery, representing a €200 million investment creating 50 jobs in Newbridge.
• KDP June 2022: Keurig Dr Pepper’s celebrated the opening of its International Operations Hub in Newbridge which created 20 new jobs, bringing to 100 the total on site.
• MGS Manufacturing Group, April 2022: Global provider of healthcare manufacturing solutions MGS committed €7m investment with 20,000ft expansion of plant located on Kildare Innovation Campus, creating 100 Jobs in Leixlip
If this momentum is to be maintained, it will be essential too that Irish enterprise continues to have access to a pool of high-quality, adaptable and flexible talent. To meet the high demand for skills, including manufacturing skills, and to continue increasing participation in employment, there is close collaboration across Government, in particular between the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, its agencies and my own Department, as well as between Government, industry, and the education and training system more broadly, in order to continue building this highly skilled and inclusive workforce.
My Department, and the Government as a whole, is committed to investing in the development of this talented workforce and broader competitive business environment which has led to Ireland’s record levels of employment and jobs growth across all sectors and regions in recent years.
