Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is possible. I do not know. I note the release of the results of the labour force survey for quarter 3 of 2018 by the CSO on Tuesday, 20 November. Overall, the release is very positive. Figures show employment continues to grow strongly with 66,700 jobs created in the year from quarter 3 of 2017 to quarter 3 of 2018, which brings total employment to 2,273,000. The number of people in employment has increased in six of the eight regions in the year from quarter 3 of 2017 to quarter 3 of 2018. The exception to this is the mid-west, which has remained static, and the Border region.

We want to have a situation where all regions are enabled to realise their potential as contributors to economic recovery and growth and thereby reduce regional disparities. Strategic investments within the overarching national context, embodied by Project Ireland 2040, and actions focused on maximising the competitive advantages and potential of each of the regions are key to ensuring each region can contribute to and participate in Ireland's future national growth and sustain a higher standard of living.

Since the launch of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs there has been an increase of 258,800 people in employment across the State. The figure is for the period from quarter 1 of 2015 to quarter 3 of 2018. A total of 163,500 people in the regions outside Dublin entered employment in that period. That represents a figure of over 63%, or three in five jobs created, for regions outside County Dublin during the period from quarter 1 of 2015 to quarter 3 of 2018. The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government's ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, of which some 135,000 will be outside Dublin.

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A key objective of the initiative is to have a further 10% to 15% at work in each region by 2020, with the aim of reducing the unemployment rate in each region to within one percentage point of the national average.

Government policies are working but, of course, we always want to do more. That is why in April this year I asked all Regional Action Plan for Jobs committees to start a process to refresh and refocus all regional plans to ensure their relevance and impact up to 2020. The refresh and refocus will ensure the plans remain effective and continue to deliver jobs throughout the country. It will ensure the plans can be sufficiently robust to address the challenges we face, including Brexit. In October I met the chairpersons again to hear directly about the progress made to date. All regions have established a project delivery team. Each team has met to examine initial proposals for each region's strategic objectives and all regions have a working draft of their refreshed plans.

My Department is also working closely with the agencies, including IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and local enterprise offices, and other relevant stakeholders. Their ongoing regional activities will also be included in the plans. The aim is to have the refreshed regional plans completed by the end of the year.

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