Dara Calleary
Ceist:577. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his policy on job creation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37414/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 18 September 2012
Ceisteanna (577)
Freagraí scríofa
As I have pointed out on many occasions, the Government does not create jobs – entrepreneurs and successful businesses do. However, the Government has a key role to play in providing the environment where businesses can start-up, expand and create jobs. Within the first 100 days of coming into office, the Government introduced a Jobs Initiative which was aimed at rebuilding confidence in the economy, providing opportunities for re-skilling for those who had lost their jobs, and assisting people to get back to work.
Building on the Jobs Initiative, the Action Plan for Jobs, which was launched on 13th February last, aims to transform the operating environment for business in order to support enterprise growth and job creation. The Government will achieve this objective by systematically removing obstacles to competitiveness, putting downward pressure on business costs, promoting innovation and trade, supporting new and existing businesses to develop and expand, and by deepening the impact of foreign direct investment in Ireland. The Government has also identified, in the Action Plan, a number of key sectors where Ireland can gain competitive advantage in global markets.The Action Plan for Jobs has set a target of supporting the creation of 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016, with the longer term objective of having 2 million people at work by 2020 as part of our goal of making Ireland the best small country in which to do business.
The Action Plan contains over 270 individual measures to be delivered in 2012 which are further broken down into Quarterly milestones. Progress Reports on the delivery of these milestones are published at the end of each Quarter. 95% of all 160 measures to be implemented in the first two Quarters of 2012 were delivered on time; those that were somewhat delayed have now been completed.
Some significant objectives have been realised, including the introduction of legislation underpinning the Microfinance Fund and the Partial Credit Guarantee scheme, the launch of a Development Capital Fund, new supports for first time exporters and the launch of a National Broadband Plan. We are reforming supports to small businesses, we have published the National Research Prioritisation Exercise, and we have launched the Succeed in Ireland scheme to help identify and encourage companies that might set up in Ireland.
The positive impact of the Government’s policies on job creation are beginning to show. 2011 saw a net increase of 6,000 jobs in IDA-supported companies and a number of major foreign direct investments have been announcements so far this year. Enterprise Ireland companies achieved €15.2 billion in exports last year – the highest level ever – and employment in the agency’s client companies stabilised in 2011 after 30,000 job losses in the period 2007 to 2010.
Employment in the tourism sector also increased by 8,700 in the period March 2011 to March 2012, supported in particular by the measures taken in the Jobs Initiative which lowered VAT rates and halved employer’s PRSI on earnings up to €356 per week. The Government will continue to deliver on its commitments in the Action Plan for Jobs, which will be an annual process setting out clear targets to be delivered each year to support job creation.