Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

Supports to business by successive Governments over many years have focused on supporting viable businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, where the benefits to the economy of such supports significantly exceed their cost. In continuing that approach, this Government's objective is to facilitate the creation and maintenance of the maximum number of sustainable jobs in the economy by improving the operating environment for business and focusing on companies that demonstrate growth potential.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2012, which was published on 13 February, sets out a range of measures which are designed to support new business start-ups, improve enterprise competitiveness and help firms to grow. Small and medium enterprises will benefit in particular from measures in the action plan. These include the establishment of a new one–stop–shop structure for micro-enterprise support. Also included is the roll-out of the micro-finance fund for small new start-ups. The fund will go live following the finalisation of its delivery structures and the scheme's approval by the European Investment Fund.

Another measure is the introduction of a new temporary partial credit guarantee scheme, which will address the problem of access to finance for viable SMEs that do not meet the normal lending criteria of the banks. This scheme will go live as soon as possible following the enactment of primary legislation in Quarter 2 of 2012. Other measures include the expansion of mentoring schemes, particularly between multinational companies and SMEs, and measures to improve access to public procurement opportunities for SMEs.

In addition, the south east action plan, which was launched by the Minister, Deputy Bruton, on 2 December last, contains specific actions to address the unemployment problems affecting the south east. The plan identifies many actions that can help deliver on that ambition of having a stronger local enterprise base. There are challenges for all agencies in the region to help build up the region's competitive advantage and then to promote it in a co-ordinated manner.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2012 is part of a wider, whole-of-Government response to the jobs crisis, which includes the recently published plan for labour market activation, Pathways to Work. Both documents are fundamentally linked and recognise the need to reform our policies and structures to secure long-term and lasting results for our enterprise base and for job-seekers.

The action plan sets out over 270 measures to be implemented this year to support job creation. Pathways to Work will reform the public employment services and the further education and training services to facilitate people to access the job opportunities that become available. Under the Pathways to Work approach, over 85,000 job experience and work placements will be made available by the Department of Social Protection this year, with a further 457,000 training and education places available through the Department of Education and Skills. These initiatives will impact positively on all regions of the country.

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