Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he remains committed to investing €7 billion over the lifetime of the Government to create 100,000 jobs; and if he will outline his plans on this matter. [14726/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The role of Government is not to create jobs directly, but to put in place the environment where businesses can prosper and generate jobs. In this context, the Jobs Initiative which was announced by the Government on 10th May will support the maintenance of existing jobs, as well as facilitating the creation of new ones. The Initiative includes a range of measures which will be taken across all Government Departments - including my own - to stimulate the economy and help get people back to work.

Additionally, the NewERA project is an integral part of the Government's commitment to refocus and streamline the semi-state sector to support employment in the short-term and provide a basis for sustainable jobs and growth in the long term. NewERA will focus on investment in next generation water, broadband and bioenergy infrastructure.

The NewERA plan is the responsibility of the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr. Fergus O'Dowd, T.D. I am aware that Minister O'Dowd is working intensively to shape the programme with the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Minister Rabbitte, and with other relevant Ministerial colleagues with a view to progressing the project as expeditiously as possible. It is likely that the impact on employment of these, and other initiatives which will be introduced by the Government, will be most visible from 2012, as economic activity picks up in response to the Government's policies. The Stability Programme Update, which was laid before the Dáil on 29th April, foresees net employment creation of the order of 100,000 over the period 2012 to 2015.

The overall level of investment in facilitating job creation will be determined by economic conditions over the lifetime of the Government.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans and those of the Industrial Development Agency to try to create jobs in an area (details supplied) which is now suffering from a critical lack of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14637/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Job creation is central to our economic recovery and the Programme for Government has job creation at its core. The role of my Department is to ensure that we have the right policies in place that will support and grow our enterprise base in order to facilitate both job creation and job retention. The Jobs Initiative announced on 10 May focuses our limited resources on measures that offer the greatest potential for expansion and employment creation in the domestic economy. The Initiative has a significant focus on tourism and the reduction in the VAT Rate and the abolition of the travel tax will provide an important stimulus to tourism businesses in Kerry and around the country.

The programmes supported by my Department and its agencies will be critical in achieving economic growth through promoting the export potential of enterprise in Ireland and driving our Smart Economy. The allocation of €508 million in funding for 2011 will ensure that the core programmes of the enterprise agencies are sustained and targeted as well as driving investment in research and development. This investment in the Enterprise Development agencies will drive recovery in the economy by facilitating the winning of foreign direct investments, the growth of indigenous exports and the creation of sustainable jobs.

IDA Ireland promotes Co. Kerry for new inward investment across the ICT, International Financial Services and Globally Traded Business sectors. As well as attracting new foreign direct investment, IDA works closely with its existing clients to encourage them to expand their operations in the County. In selecting locations to show companies, IDA Ireland seeks to include locations, which have been affected by closures and job losses. However, the final decision on where to locate is taken in all cases by the promoting company. At present there are 15 IDA Ireland-supported companies in Co. Kerry employing more than 1,300 people.

Enterprise Ireland continues to support job creation through a number of interventions, such as supporting the establishment and growth of high potential start-up companies and supporting companies to target new opportunities in overseas markets. At present there are 133 Enterprise Ireland client companies in Co. Kerry employing more than 3,000 people. In 2010, Enterprise Ireland paid out over €3.2m in financial support to its client companies in Co. Kerry. In addition, the agency has been providing support to seven community enterprise centres.

Kerry County Enterprise Board continues to be actively involved in the economic development of the Caherciveen area and the County as a whole. Since its inception in 1993 to end 2010, Kerry CEB has issued almost €7.1m in grant assistance to 888 clients. So far this year, Kerry CEB has approved €153,000 in grant support to 16 micro-enterprise projects in the County, supporting the generation of 44 new jobs. There are approximately 1,300 people employed in companies assisted by Kerry CEB.

The State Enterprise Development agencies, together with the Kerry County Enterprise Board continue to work together with other stakeholders in relation to enterprise development. The actions to be taken across Government will stimulate the economy, facilitate enterprise and encourage job creation, including in Co. Kerry.