Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My decision last year to appoint Deputy Jimmy Deenihan as Ireland's first Minister of State for diaspora affairs points to the particular importance the Government attaches to engagement with those who left Ireland and with those of Irish heritage globally. When the Government published Ireland's first ever diaspora policy in March of this year, I stressed the importance of our diaspora to this nation and acknowledged that their existence is the end result of a long history of emigration, which for many was not considered a matter of choice. In the early part of this century we saw an end to this pattern of emigration but with the economic crash of 2008 our people, and particularly our young people, were deprived of the jobs and opportunities at home that they deserve.

From the beginning of its term of office, this Government's policy has been to create the economic conditions necessary to make returning to Ireland an option for those who have emigrated and who might now wish to return. The difficult decisions that we took and the key strategies that we have implemented, such as the Action Plan for Jobs, have got us back on track and our economy firmly in recovery. The credit for that lies with the people and the sacrifices they made to put the economy back on a strong footing.

As we set out in our Spring Economic Statement, the Government's strategy of steady, stable economic growth will benefit all of our citizens and it will entice emigrants to return home. Opportunities are being created here for our people and we want them to be able to come home. The Action Plan for Jobs launched by the Government is a key instrument used to support job creation and further improve the environment for doing business in this country. Under it, more than 900 separate actions have been implemented since we started the process and this year there will be a further 300 or so. As a consequence of all of that and an improving environment, 100,000 new jobs have been filled.

Now that is happening, the Government has a particular focus on ensuring the benefits of that recovery are shared across the country because people point to this on a regular basis, including in the regions where we have seen a higher rate of unemployment and emigration. We are following the national Action Plan for Jobs by rolling out eight regional action plans as part of a €250 million programme to support business and job creation. These regional plans will identify and build on the strengths and resources that each of our regions possesses, but we need to focus on what they are. I was in Tullamore recently where action taken in the midlands spans such activities as establishing a manufacturing technologies campus to creating new hospitality facilities in respect of cycling, walking and recreational trails that exploit the waterways of the region. In the south west, key sectors targeted include agrifood, tourism, life sciences, manufacturing and ICT as well as high-potential emerging sectors, such as multi-media.

A number of other key actions taken this year include a national talent drive, which will attract and retain world class talent to address skills shortages that exist in the economy, including in the area of ICT. There has been a focus on entrepreneurship, which is aimed at attracting back to Ireland young innovators and entrepreneurs who wish to build their new businesses from an Irish base. There has been a continued implementation of the Construction 2020 programme to deliver a dynamic, competitive and sustainable construction sector, thereby providing good employment opportunities, including opportunities for the many construction workers forced to find work in other countries during the recession.

There has also been a programme of investment in research and innovation through Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council, Enterprise Ireland and others to attract highly skilled researchers to take up opportunities in a number of large industry co-funded research centres, thereby providing new opportunities for Irish researchers working abroad to return to this country. In addition, Enterprise Ireland, as I have often said, stands ready to support all entrepreneurs and innovators, including those living abroad, to establish ventures in Ireland and through IDA Ireland and the Succeed in Ireland initiative.

Irish people who have established businesses abroad and wish to locate their activities in Ireland will be actively encouraged and facilitated.

The first Irish diaspora policy, Global Irish, put in place a range of initiatives to improve how we connect with our people abroad and promote opportunities for those who wish to come back. This has been a particular focus of attention for the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan. A key challenge in this area is to ensure we provide clear and targeted communications that will ensure our emigrants are kept up to date on the opportunities available or those becoming available back at home. A number of initiatives are under way to help, for example, the new website www.dfa.ie/Global-Irishwas launched in conjunction with the policy. It includes a section on coming home, providing pointers to practical information that anyone considering such a move might need. The Irish abroad are encouraged to sign up for a new Global Irish newsletter on this site and stay in touch using social media, through which messages about the economy and opportunities will be referenced.

The Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, has consulted organisations like Enterprise Ireland, American Chamber of Commerce Ireland and others interested in bringing members of the diaspora home to take up opportunities. The Minister of State also chairs the interdepartmental committee, whose function is to support the delivery of the diaspora policy. This committee provides a forum to discuss any barriers to emigrants considering a return to Ireland as well as ways to address these challenges wherever possible. The committee met recently and discussed ways of encouraging emigrants to return to Ireland. The committee highlighted some of these potential barriers and will continue to look at ways in which they might be addressed. Members may have ideas or initiatives for consideration and these would certainly be considered by Government.

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