Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which the relevant personnel within his Department have focused on the various issues affecting, impeding or obstructing job creation, enterprise and innovation; the extent to which positive intervention has been examined with a view to maximising opportunities in the areas for which he has responsibility; the extent to which the various stakeholders have been interviewed in this context; if it is expected that every possible opportunity for improvement is vigorously pursued; if he intends to take on board specific bold ventures with a view to utilising all possibilities in the context of national economic recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36016/11]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent that he and or his Department have examined the extent to which job creation is impeded by specific practices; the main issues that have emerged; the extent to which the large, small and/or medium sized sector is affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36328/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 231 together.

The main factors impacting on job creation, enterprise and innovation at present have been well flagged in reports from the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) and include a lack of consumer demand, difficulties accessing certain business finance, cost competitiveness issues and the impact of the global economic downturn on the Irish economy. These issues impact on firms of all size and in all sectors. However, smaller companies are finding it particularly difficult to access finance at present.

The Government has taken decisive action in relation to recapitalising the banks and setting ambitious lending targets for them. The NCC's Costs of Doing Business in Ireland report for 2011 found that business costs in Ireland have reduced in relation to labour, property, utilities and business services in the last two years. The report made a number of recommendations to improve our cost competitiveness further and I have brought these recommendations to the attention of my Ministerial colleagues in Government.

With regard to my own Department's area of responsibility, I have been working on proposals for the introduction of a Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee scheme and a Microfinance Fund for small business start-ups and both are at an advanced stage. I am continuing to work on proposals to reform the statutory wage setting mechanisms, which will help to improve the competitiveness of businesses in certain sectors. My Department has identified potential savings of approximately €198 million per annum for businesses in Ireland arising from measures taken to reduce the administrative burden in the areas of Company Law, Employment Law and Health and Safety Law. My Department is also leading a cross-Government programme to further measure and reduce the administrative burden across all areas of regulation affecting business. A project to measure these burdens across seven Departments and the Offices of the Revenue Commissioners is due to be completed by mid-2012.

I am currently preparing a Jobs Strategy for the Government which will set out a series of clear, actionable measures across all Departments to support the creation and retention of jobs. The Strategy will focus on areas such as:

- improving competitiveness and intensifying competition in sheltered sectors;

- assisting indigenous business to grow;

- supporting indigenous start ups;

- attracting inward entrepreneurial start ups;

- developing and deepening the impact of Foreign Direct Investment;

- exploiting opportunities in new and emerging sectors; and

- supporting employment initiatives within the community.

In preparing the Strategy, I have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders from the public, private and community sectors, to obtain their views on actions to support employment creation. I received over 600 individual ideas through this process, including some innovative proposals for job creation. My Department and Forfás, in consultation with officials in other Government Departments, have been analysing the proposals to identify those which are likely to have the greatest impact on job creation and retention. The objective is to publish the Jobs Strategy in early in the New Year.

These measures will be underpinned by an allocation to my Department of €514 million for enterprise support from the Government's Capital investment budget for 2012. This is the highest ever Capital allocation to my Department, reflecting the priority accorded to job creation by the Government.