Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have placed a great deal of attention in recent years on the service and pharmaceutical industries but it is important to remember that approximately 206,000 people are employed in manufacturing. In 2012, manufacturing companies exported €79 billion of merchandise and sourced €14 billion of produce from within the island. It is a hugely important sector and I welcome the focus the Minister has put on it. The challenge now is to put substance behind that focus.

The Forfás recommendations include a start-up fund for manufacturing enterprises and financial support for capital investment by manufacturing enterprises. Does the Minister intend to prioritise those recommendations within his own budget campaign, which is under way ahead of the October budget? Will there be a funding allocation and will Enterprise Ireland receive an extra allocation in 2014 specifically intended for the manufacturing sector to ensure that the recommendations from the excellent Forfás report are implemented? Is the Minister still confident that he will reach the target of 20,000 extra manufacturing jobs by 2016?

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