Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, and 10 together.

On 7 March 2012, following one year in Government, the Tánaiste and I launched the Programme for Government Annual Report 2012.

As part of the planning of the annual report, I met with every Minister to discuss his or her area of work in relation to the programme for Government and the progress that had been made.

The report is an honest appraisal of the Government's work in its first year in office and highlights our achievements in the priority areas of stabilising the economy and our finances, improving our international reputation and focusing on the creation of jobs. I fully believe we have made good progress in all of these areas.

The report contains only those programme for Government commitments which we felt had been either fully or substantially delivered to date and I acknowledge that there are some areas we have not been able to progress as much as we would have wished. We still have a long way to go but the most important thing is that we have taken the first step in the right direction.

In its first year the Government has reformed the banking structure, successfully renegotiated the EU-IMF programme to see savings of €9 billion, and rebuilt the trust and confidence of the international community. This has led to a strong flow of investment decisions by multinational companies, leading to real job creation in Ireland.

Since taking office, the number one priority of the Government has been to get Ireland working again. We have introduced a range of measures in the past 12 months to create as many jobs as possible and to assist those on the live register including the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, Pathways to Work, the Jobs Initiative and JobBridge. All of these initiatives are aimed at getting people back to work and building both their futures and this country's future.

The Government continues to seek further enhancements to the EU-IMF programme, to free up credit for small and medium enterprises, SMEs, and to push through our reform plans across all sectors. Over the next 12 months, the Government will continue to prioritise job creation, support debt-distressed families, progress investment through NewERA and the Strategic Investment Fund, implement reform, and improve our international standing.

My recent visits to both the United States and China provided an opportunity to promote trade and investment, strengthen existing relationships and build new ones. I conveyed the message that Ireland is open for business and that this is an excellent time to invest in and benefit from Ireland's recovery.

The Programme for Government 2011 - 2016 is a five year plan, and there are no plans to revise or develop a new programme. We have made substantial inroads in bringing the programme to fruition and will continue to do so over the coming years. A programme for Government office was established within my Department last year and comprises of two staff from within existing resources along with an intern from the JobBridge programme. The office has an ongoing role in monitoring and driving the implementation of programme for Government commitments across all Departments.

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