Vol. 511 No. 6
99 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new jobs created in each of the years from 1997 to date; the job creation projects in the pipeline for 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25071/99]
The creation of jobs is a day to day matter for the industrial development agencies and not one in which I, as Minister, would have any function.
The total number of jobs created by the agencies under my Department's remit, that is IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Shannon Development, amounted to 29,353 in 1997. In addition, the county enterprise boards created a total of 2,988 jobs. The corresponding figures for 1998 are 30,622 and 3,157, respectively.
Job creation figures for 1999 are not yet available. Forfás, the agency with responsibility for advising on industrial policy, is conducting its annual employment survey at present, the provisional results of which will be available by year end. Information on future projects "in the pipeline" is particularly a day to day matter for the agencies concerned, is, of its nature, confidential and is also not a matter in which I, as Minister, would have any direct function.
I can confirm, however, that there is now a greater emphasis by the industrial development agencies on the regional dispersal of investment projects. IDA Ireland, in particular, as part of its new focus on the regions, is seeking to deliver over 50 per cent of all newly approved greenfield jobs to the Objective One region. This compares to approximately 25 per cent of projects which were being brought to this region in the past.
