Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The action plan for jobs has set a target of supporting the creation of 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016. Even in good times, businesses close and jobs are lost so, as the Deputy recognises, a significantly larger number of new jobs will clearly need to be generated on a gross basis over the period in question to achieve the target. Such jobs are not created by my Department and its agencies but by successful enterprises.

There is no reliable data published on gross job creation forecasts across the economy. However, we develop targets in respect of client companies of my Department's agencies. Over the period of the action plan for jobs, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland are targeting the support of more than 100,000 gross jobs in client firms. Experience has shown that such job creation is matched by a similar number of approximately 100,000 connected jobs in the economy through the supply chain. Approximately 5,000 full-time jobs and more than 3,500 part-time jobs will be created by the county and city enterprise boards each year. Of course, further jobs will be created by companies which are not supported by the enterprise agencies but data are not collected on this in any systematic way.

The objective of the action plan for jobs is to transform the operating environment for business to make it easier to start up, expand, access finance and to find new markets. The plan is built around four key themes: supporting indigenous businesses; attracting more international start-ups and multinational companies; targeting sectors of potential; and improving competitiveness across the economy.

The action plan does not make projections of the rate of unemployment. It is seeking to influence the direction of growth and to change the trends in respect of enterprise, employment and of unemployment. Clearly, trends in global economics will have an effect on our trade and investment ambitions but we are stepping up the performance of enterprise and employment. It is about grinding out reforms to our policies, structures and systems, one by one, to create the environment where jobs can be created and sustained.

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