James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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66. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to address the need for additional jobs and greater investment in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50053/18]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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What are the Minister’s plans to address the need for additional jobs and greater investment in jobs in the county of Wexford?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

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.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister's answer is deluded. The last Central Statistics Office third quarter figures showed unemployment in the south east surged to 8.6%. The economy is supposed to be booming and we keep hearing announcements about jobs. Unemployment in the south east is going up, however. Wexford has 3.3% of the national population but it only has 1.3% of IDA Ireland jobs. The head of IDA Ireland has said he has no intention of purchasing any land in Wexford for IDA jobs despite the fact that Wexford has the sixth lowest ratio of IDA land.

We have low-quality jobs as well as a low percentage of our workforce in employment. The jobs that are there are low paid, as we know from the Revenue returns for the south east. IDA Ireland does not even know Wexford exists.

What will the Minister do about unemployment in the south east and the lack of jobs in Wexford? The unemployment rate is going up significantly at a time when the economy is booming. It shows the Government has zero interest. The Minister had to go back to the first quarter of 2015 to find a statistic to back up her statement. Unemployment is going up but the Government is doing nothing about this in Wexford. That is a fact.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Actually unemployment is going down. The live register figures out today show another reduction in unemployment.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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According to the third quarter CSO figures, there has been a rise in unemployment in County Wexford.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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No, the Deputy might have that wrong. The unemployment rate is being reduced. We have a target of 200,000 jobs by 2020, of which 135,000 jobs will be in the regions. We are well ahead with 93% of the target already achieved. People are back at work. It is reflected in the fact that I am getting representations about labour shortages. I am being asked by employers to issue work permits to bring people in from abroad.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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That is not true in Wexford. Unemployment is over 15% there.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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We need jobs in Wexford.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There is much employment out there. The south-east plan covers counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

Key sectors targeted as part of the plan include agrifood, tourism, the life sciences, manufacturing, retail and financial and business services. The local enterprise offices are working hard to support indigenous companies.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Despite the Government's failure to-----

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland continues to attract a pipeline of investments into the country. I want to see investment in the regions and IDA Ireland has targets to ensure they will attract as much investment as possible, but its main work when abroad is to try to attract companies to Ireland. If they decide-----

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland has no land in Wexford.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland brings companies to different locations across the country.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Without land, there is nothing to show them in Wexford.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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There is enough material here for another debate. Unfortunately, we have exceeded the time allowed.