Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 March 2015
250. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on holding public consultation sessions in counties Galway and Mayo to assist in the development of a regional enterprise strategy for the west; and if he will ensure that the strategy takes into account the different challenges across the region. [10452/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast month, the Government announced details of the Action Plan for Jobs: Regional initiative which will seek to maximise the strengths and assets of each region to support enterprise growth and job creation. The Regional Action Plans will identify specific measures that can be taken to help each region to realise its economic potential, with a view to increasing the number of people at work in the region.
My objective is that six Regional Action Plans, including one for the West region, will be launched by July, with two remaining Plans in development at that stage.
In developing the Regional Action Plans, my Department, assisted by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, will be consulting with key stakeholders in each region. As part of the consultation process, a Stakeholder Forum, involving a broad cross-representation from the business sector, the private sector and the wider community, will be held in each region. The Stakeholder Forum for the West region will take place in Galway on 23 March and will involve participants from counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon.
The objective of the Stakeholder Forum will be to identify the strengths and opportunities of the region which can be built on to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region. There will, inevitably, be different challenges across the region, as well as different opportunities. The focus of the regional Action Plan will be on identifying actions that can be taken to overcome the challenges and maximise the opportunities of the region.
There will also be a facility to submit proposals for consideration for the Regional Action Plan to a dedicated mailbox in my Department.
