Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 February 2015
72. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures he has implemented since March 2011 to date in 2015 to assist in the creation of jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5028/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, which is co-ordinated and developed by my Department since 2012, has set out a comprehensive set of measures to assist in the creation of jobs in all parts of the country. The 2015 Action Plan for Jobs was launched on January 29 in ICON Plc. The Action Plan process is working. Almost 80,000 more people are at work since the launch of the first Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. Indigenous exports and foreign direct investment are at all-time record levels. Our competitiveness ranking internationally has climbed to 15th according to the IMD. The rate of unemployment has declined from a peak of 15.1 per cent at the start of 2012 to below 10.6 per cent at end 2014. Each of the Ireland’s regions have recorded some increase in employment since the start of 2012 with the largest increases recorded in Dublin (+35,000); South-East (+21,300) and Border region (+16,200).
In 2014, client companies of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland created 8,476 and 7,131 net new jobs respectively; this represents the highest levels of net new job creation by agency client companies in over a decade. Total employment at IDA client companies now stands at 174,488 people and total employment in Enterprise Ireland client companies stands at 180,072; this is the highest level of employment recorded in the history of both agencies.
In 2012, 2013 and 2014, on a quarterly basis we have reported in detail on the implementation of measures in the Action Plan for Jobs to support the transformation of the economy, with a success rate of over 90 per cent. Over 1,000 action have been implemented to date and a further 380 actions are set out in the 2015 Action Plan and the details of progress are available in the quarterly reports.
The many areas where my Department has delivered reform include:
- in the areas of entrepreneurship, the launch of the Local Enterprise Offices and launch of “Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur” competition;
- making Ireland the most attractive location in the world for ICT talent through the ICT Skills Action Plan which aims to increase the level of highly skilled professionals domestically, ensuring that three quarters of job openings can be filled from the Irish education system by 2018.
- new staff in EI and IDA Ireland overseas offices in high growth and emerging markets;
- establishing a Health Innovation Hub, with the Department of Health, to position Ireland as a leading location for medtech and healthcare companies;
- implementation of major strategic initiatives in key sectors to grow jobs and exports in the food and beverage sector through Enterprise Ireland as part of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy; and
- the establishment of a Retail Forum and other sectors.
The Action Plan for Jobs 2015 will be a further step along the way in meeting this medium-term goal for Ireland. The themes in this year’s Action Plan for Jobs build on the reforms of previous years in the areas of competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship and in fostering new sources of growth for the economy, the conditions to achieve the target of 100,000 extra people at work by 2016 and contribute to our longer-term goal of restoring the country to have 2.1 million at work in 2018.
