Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 January 2014
345. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount by which the value of indigenous exports increased during 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4195/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the heart of the Action Plan for Jobs is our determination to create a powerful engine of exporting Irish business. That is why we have doubled the number of trade missions, established new supports for exporting companies, protected the Enterprise Ireland capital budget and secured agreement for the recruitment of 20 additional staff in overseas markets despite constrained budgets.
As we know, export growth provides a sustainable route for companies to grow their employment. If these companies win sales overseas, they will drive the growth of jobs here in Ireland. In 2012, Enterprise Ireland clients’ exports exceeded €16.2 billion, an increase from €15.2 billion in 2011. Following on from this strong performance in 2012, Enterprise Ireland forecasts that client exports will reach €17 billion when figures become available for 2013.
The Inter-Agency Annual Survey of Economic Impact is currently compiling data on the level of exports for 2013. Following a review of the data, the export results for Enterprise Ireland clients will be made available and will also be published in Enterprise Ireland’s Annual Report.
In its End of Year Statement published on 13th January 2014, Enterprise Ireland reported that EI supported companies created 18,033 new jobs in 2013. This resulted in a net increase of 5,442 in the number of people employed by Enterprise Ireland supported companies, the highest net gain for Irish companies in the last decade and indicators suggest that this was primarily due to the strong export performance of Enterprise Ireland client companies.
