Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 February 2018
49. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the progress that has been made in County Westmeath and the midlands regions under the regional action plan for jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5768/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise development and job creation in the regions of Ireland is a key policy priority of this Government and my Department has been actively engaged in the regional jobs agenda through the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) initiative for the past two years.
The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, 135,000 of which are outside of Dublin. A key objective of each of the 8 regional plans is to have a further 10 to 15 per cent at work in each region by 2020, with the unemployment rate of each region not more than one percentage point greater than the national average.
The Midlands Regional Action Plan for Jobs was launched in June 2015, and is the key policy response for supporting employment growth in the region. It includes a series of practical actions to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region, within clear timelines for delivery. The Action Plans seek to capitalise on the particular strengths and opportunities of the region and has been developed by my Department, with the support of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, in close consultation with regional stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
A central aim of the regional Action Plans for Jobs is to champion the concept of regional collaboration from the ‘ground up’ to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the region that grows jobs and enterprises.
There has been very good progress in the Midlands region in terms of employment creation since Q1 2015 with some 9,500 more people in employment up to Q2 2017. This is against an overall target of 14,000 additional jobs by 2020 as set out in the Midlands Plan.
While Live Register numbers have fallen in all four Midland counties in the past 12 months, CSO figures show that the unemployment rate in the Midlands is currently at 9.3% (Q3 2017), which places the region in a small group of those (including the South-East and Mid-West) whose unemployment rates are more than one percentage point higher than the State average.
This is too high, especially since the Q3 2017 State average is 6.9%, and underlines the importance of retaining a focus on regional enterprise development and job creation in the Midlands.
Importantly, the Midlands Plan has been embraced within the region and the Enterprise Agencies are working hard to drive local job creation and contribute to the job creation targets set out in the Plan.
In 2017, both Enterprise Ireland and IDA reported job increases in the Midlands of 6% and 1% respectively. Enterprise Ireland’s Midland clients employed almost 12,500 people in the region in 2017 and County Westmeath enjoyed a 7% growth, the 7th highest in the country with 3,741 people now employed in the county.
The Local Enterprise Offices operating under the auspices of the Local Authorities and Enterprise Ireland in Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath continue to play a vital role in providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own businesses in the region. LEO Westmeath employed 1,375 people, an increase of 7% since 2014. Results for 2017 are expected to be published shortly.
In December last year, I announced an allocation of €30.5 million in funding to support enterprise capability in the regions, with 21 projects from all over the country receiving funding. This Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) totalling €60 million is being rolled out by Enterprise Ireland over the next 4 years to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at a national, regional and county level. The Fund supports the ambition, goals and implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs.
The Irish Manufacturing Research CLG project located in Mullingar was one of the significant funding recipients under Stream 1 of the REDF, which will be an important support to manufacturing activity in Westmeath and indeed, the Midlands region. In addition, Longford is a partner in a Stream 2 project to develop a network of three Digital and Innovation Hubs with Leitrim and Cavan.
I look forward to launching a second call under the REDF in March this year, which will make available the remainder of the €60 million.
My priority is to continue to work with stakeholders collectively within the Midlands to build on the progress to date on implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs over the period to 2020, and to focus on leveraging the key strengths of the region.
Finally, my Department is also working closely with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in relation to the National Planning Framework and development of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and with the Department of Rural and Community Development on roll-out of the Action Plan for Rural Development.
