Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.

As committed to in the programme for Government, a national economic plan will be developed in the coming months to chart our longer-term, jobs-led recovery. The plan will put sustainability at the heart of our fiscal, enterprise, innovation and environmental policies. As part of the development of the new national economic plan, my Department will lead a high-level review of the economy. This review will seek to identify the sectors that have the greatest opportunity to grow and sustain quality employment in the future. It will be an opportunity to consider, along with relevant Departments and sectors, how Ireland can adapt to a very changed global economy.

The Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment has been established and first met on Wednesday, 8 July. The terms of reference of the committee are to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments aimed at sustainable economic recovery, investment and job creation. The committee will operate in accordance with established guidelines for Cabinet committees and substantive issues will be referred to Government for discussion and approval. The Cabinet committee’s immediate focus is the development of proposals for a July jobs initiative in line with the commitments in the programme for Government. This will have a short-term focus on jobs as a first step towards the longer-term national economic plan to follow in the autumn.

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