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

Since becoming Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, I have made jobs and enterprise in the regions one of my top priorities. I am firmly focused on delivering on the Programme for a Partnership Government target to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, with 135,000 of these jobs to be located outside of Dublin.

My Department and enterprise agencies are playing a key role in supporting the creation of sustainable and quality jobs in the regions, including in County Wexford. County Wexford forms part of the south-east regional action plan for jobs, which aims to achieve a 10% to 15% growth in employment over the period to 2020, as well as ensuring unemployment reduces to within at least one percentage point of the State average.

Since commencing the regional Action Plan for Jobs in 2015, good progress has been made on job creation in the south east, with 17,300 more people in employment in the region from the first quarter of 2015, baseline year, to the third quarter of 2018. The unemployment rate in the south east at the third quarter of 2018 stands at 8.6%, down from 11.7 % in the first quarter of 2015.

There are 18 IDA Ireland client companies located in County Wexford employing a total of 2,948 people. Foreign direct investment-supported employment in County Wexford has increased by 10% from 2016 to 2017. IDA Ireland continues to work with its clients to identify opportunities for new investment or expansion in Wexford and the broader south east. In doing so, IDA Ireland will draw the attention of investors to the region's particular strengths, including its ports and existing clusters of financial services, technology and high-value manufacturing firms.

Enterprise Ireland continues to support job creation in County Wexford, with client companies employing more than 4,670 people in the county. Payments by Enterprise Ireland to client companies in the county in 2017 totalled €2.16 million. Significant investment announced in County Wexford includes the re-opening of Glanbia Ireland’s Wexford cheese plant following a major capital investment programme. The €35 million investment has been supported by the Government through Enterprise Ireland since 2014 and has doubled peak capacity at the plant.

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My colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has also announced national funding of €4.86 million under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme to 26 seafood enterprises and three research institutions. Two Wexford seafood businesses received grant aid, namely, Sofrimar in Kilmore Quay and Jade Ireland Seafood.

The local enterprise office, LEO, in Wexford is the first-stop-shop for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and soft supports in the form of training and mentoring to anyone wishing to start or grow a business in the area. In that regard in 2017, the LEO in Wexford supported 213 clients with 1,348 total jobs, which was a gross increase of 238 jobs on 2016. I also announced an extra €5 million in budget 2019 to enable the LEOs, including LEO Wexford, to support a broad range of indigenous micro-enterprises.

These initiatives, along with the many supports available to businesses from my Department through Enterprise Ireland, IDA and the LEOs, are designed to maximise the creation of quality and sustainable employment in all regional, rural and urban areas, including County Wexford and the wider region. This is a key priority for the Government.

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