Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. I am sorry that the exact information that the Deputy requested is not readily available just yet, but as soon as we have it, or updated figures for the last number of months, we will bring it to the Deputy.

I can inform the Deputy about the jobs created within Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland's client base for 2020. The CSO also provides data from the labour force survey, although it does not record whether a job is newly created.

My Department collects data on employment in the client companies of our agencies, namely, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta, as well as engaging with the local enterprise offices, LEOs, on an annual basis. The data provided through the annual employment survey for 2020 tells us that 2,702 net jobs were created within Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland client companies in the south-west region, including counties Kerry and Cork, which covers the region referenced by the Deputy.

According to the CSO, the most recent employment figures available under the labour force survey are for quarter 2 of 2021. Employment for the south-west region was 309,000 in quarter 2 of 2020 and increased to 332,200 in quarter 2 of this year, an increase of 23,200. Looking at employment in quarter 2 of 2019 to show pre-pandemic times, employment was 319,900. Therefore, the increase from pre-Covid times to quarter 2 of this year is 12,300 for the region.

Employment figures for LEO clients are also available for 2019 and 2020. The net change in jobs for the south Cork LEO, which covers the Deputy's area was 97 jobs created in 2019 and ten in 2020, which reflects the pandemic that we have just come through.

As the Deputy will be aware, the economic recovery plan, which was published in June, sets an ambitious target to exceed pre-crisis employment levels by having 2.5 million people in work by 2024, and in more productive and resilient jobs. The plan sets out the Government's commitment to create the right environment for a jobs-led recovery by helping businesses to become more resilient and agile, and by supporting people to transition to new jobs in growing sectors of the economy. As the Deputy is aware, SMEs account for over two thirds of the total employment and, as such, a strong focus on indigenous SMEs is critical to a jobs-led recovery.

Under the Enterprise Ireland's regional enterprise development fund-----

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