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

I note the release of the results of the labour force survey for the third quarter of 2018 issued by the CSO on Tuesday, 20 November. Overall, the release is very positive. The figures show that employment continues to grow strongly, with 66,700 jobs created in the year from the third quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2018. It brings total employment to 2,273,200.

Between the launch of the Regional Action Plan for Jobs in the first quarter of 2015 and the third quarter of 2018 there has been an increase of 258,800 people in employment in the State as a whole, of whom 163,500 are located in the regions outside County Dublin. It equates to three out of every five jobs created. In the mid-west region there has been an increase in the number of people in employment, from 196,500 to 215,300, since the Regional Action Plan for Jobs was launched, that is, from the first quarter of 2015 to the third quarter of 2018. This represents an increase of 18,800 jobs, or 9.5%. In the same period the level of unemployment has reduced, from a high of 12% to 7.2%. In real terms, the number unemployed in the mid-west region has decreased by 10,300 in the period since the first quarter of 2015. The CSO labour force survey reports no change in the numbers in employment in the mid-west in the year before the third quarter of 2018. However, it also reports a decline in the level of unemployment of 2,600 in the mid-west region in the same period, which is very welcome.

Realising the enterprise and jobs potential in all regions and thereby reducing disparities between regions continues to be a priority of the Government. Under the Regional Action Plan for Jobs, we remain committed to achieving an overall jobs uplift of between 10% and 15% in each region by 2020 and bringing the unemployment level in each region to within at least 1% of the State average. We have more to do.

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The mid-west Regional Action Plan for Jobs process has had some notable successes such as the launch of Propeller Shannon Accelerator, a student enterprise network at the University of Limerick, and a Limerick for Engineering showcase, among many other initiatives. Earlier this year I asked the Regional Action Plan for Jobs implementation committees, including in the mid-west, to refresh and refocus their plans to ensure their relevance and impact from now until 2020, especially in the face of current challenges, including Brexit. This work is ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of the year. On Monday, in the second call for my Department's regional enterprise development fund, I announced an allocation of more than €29 million in funding that will support the regions in delivering on their economic and enterprise development potential. Some 21 projects all over the country received funding. This was in addition to the €30 million in funding in the first call which I announced in December 2017 and also funded 21 projects.

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