Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The potential of the manufacturing sector has been neglected in recent years. In consequence, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, I established a manufacturing forum chaired by Patrick Miskelly and supported by an analysis team in Forfás to develop a detailed strategy for manufacturing, which I launched last month along with a separate strategy on the skill needs of manufacturing prepared by the expert group on future skill needs. More than 205,00 people are now employed in manufacturing, which makes a very substantial contribution to the economy in terms of exports, purchase of materials and services, regional spread and innovation. The report makes clear that a do-nothing strategy could lead to continuing job losses in the sector and sets out a strategy which the authors believe to have the potential to create 20,000 jobs by 2016. This is an ambitious target. The report identifies four areas of opportunity including sectors with potential, adapting and responding to changing global supply chains, developing and adapting new technologies and materials and developing the indigenous potential for start-up companies and scaling. Key actions are proposed across a range of areas, including access to new funding, management training and support, cost reduction, technology adoption, extending international reach, improving innovation capacity, developing skills bases and the implementation of a national step change initiative.

The policy sets out eight distinct policy areas involving 63 actions in all. These actions include new start-up and capability funds to be run by Enterprise Ireland specifically to target supports for new manufacturing start-ups and to support capital investment by manufacturing companies. Enterprise Ireland and the IDA are to target additional financial supports for research and development investments specifically at engineering firms. Also included is a new national step change initiative available to all Enterprise Ireland and IDA client companies which will systematically support manufacturing companies to expand their client bases through staff training and peer learning, improve their adoption of new technologies, embrace research and development and accelerate collaboration between companies in similar sectors to generate greater efficiencies in areas like global sourcing.

See this speech in context