Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The first area I wish to consider is what the Minister called disruptive reform last year. Thereafter, I wish to examine the financial side of things and I then wish to make some general comments, if that is all right. I will keep them as brief as I can.

Last year, the big idea of the plan was disruptive reforms and the first of which was to make Ireland the leading country in Europe for big data. How many jobs were created directly in the intervening 12 months or are in the pipeline because of that reform? The third disruptive reform listed was the creation of a single licensing application system for the retail sector. The Minister should provide members with an update on the current status in that regard. In addition, there was a target to get 2,000 more small businesses trading online. What precisely is the current figure? While the Minister still aims to have 2,000 by 2015, which was last year's target, what is the figure at present? Has Enterprise Ireland in particular carried out work in this regard? I note the plan was launched in the offices of a company that specialises in getting retailers online, which is an area in which I have a particular interest.

I have a couple of points in respect of finance. The joint committee has engaged in considerable discussion about Microfinance Ireland and the credit guarantee scheme not reaching or coming close to reaching their targets. The Minister was reviewing the credit guarantee scheme and should indicate what is the current status of that review. What changes have been made to either scheme? What is the position in respect of a new CEO for Microfinance Ireland? The Minister referred to a point contained in the Action Plan for Jobs, which is that the Department is considering alternative sources of financing. Three weeks ago, the joint committee heard a presentation from Linked Finance on crowd financing. I acknowledge this is not in the Minister's nature, but would it not be worth taking a punt on that company in a pilot scheme with a small amount of money? That company came before the joint committee in the company of some of its clients and they had fantastic stories to tell about jobs created that otherwise would not have been created. In particular, given that the credit guarantee scheme and Microfinance Ireland are so behind target, I challenge the Minister to take a punt on a pilot scheme similar to what has been done in the United Kingdom in respect of crowd financing.

During the debate on the Estimates a few weeks ago, I raised a concern with the Minister that the targets for the IDA in particular and for Enterprise Ireland for 2014 were less than what they had achieved in 2013. My concern is that when they overshoot those targets, as they will because they are beneath the achievements of 2013, it will be another opportunity to claim one is great because one has created more jobs. The major new initiative of this year's action plan to target 10,000 new jobs from the IDA, in addition to those targets that already have been set. The target is for 6,000 jobs created directly and a further 4,000 created indirectly over five years, which works out at 1,200 direct and 800 indirect job creations each year and the Department proposes to provide additional resources to the IDA to do this. The intention is to target Middle Eastern markets in particular. However, in 2013, the IDA created 7,070 jobs net and its target for 2014 is 6,000 jobs net. The Minister is setting an ambitious new target that he knows will be reached, based on 2013 activity and the world economy improving. The Minister was somewhat snippy earlier in the Chamber about Deputy Martin's criticisms of the Action Plan for Jobs but this is the kind of thing that frustrates people, that is, where targets are being set beneath the previous monthly or yearly targets. They will be surpassed because the IDA is a fantastic organisation doing a great job and the Minister is providing it with the resources it needs. Consequently, this is a source of frustration. The other issue concerns the timeline in respect of a review of regional policy to which the Minister has committed in the Action Plan for Jobs 2014.

What is the timeline for that? When will we see the changes? Deputy Conaghan spoke about a three- or four-speed Europe in terms of economic recovery, but we have that on this island.

I welcome some of the initiatives on youth employment, particularly on youth entrepreneurship. We really need to move the debate on and encourage people to set up their own businesses. I welcome the fact the Minister is examining Sean O'Sullivan's report. The Minister has committed to looking at the taxation supports for entrepreneurship in 2014. Sean O'Sullivan's group has made some really interesting proposals with regard to taxation of entrepreneurship, capital gains tax, etc. What are the Minister's and the Department's views on that report?

I refer to the jobs figures for 2013. There is an issue in that there were 13,800 fewer employed in the 15-to-34 age group than at the end of 2012. The number of 15-to-24 year olds in the workforce was down by approximately 12,000 in 2013 and the number of 25-to-34 year olds in the labour force was down nearly 25,000.

Emigration is still a major problem. The Minister said the Action Plan for Jobs would create jobs, but can we get all the heads which he says are working together on the Action Plan for Jobs to start to focus on emigration in particular? Why are we losing 25,000 people, including some of our most talented people? These are the people who might benefit from Sean O'Sullivan's recommendations, if implemented, and whom the IDA is trying to sell as our educated workforce, yet 25,000 have emigrated. I am not saying this as a party political charge, but there seems to be a comfort within the system that emigration is there. There seems to be very little discussion about the seriousness of it.