Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to support enterprise development in the midland and western regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11407/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The role of Government is to create the conditions where enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation can flourish and quality employment opportunities can be grown and maintained. Our objective is to put the country back on the road to economic recovery and full employment. The Action Plan for Jobs, which I launched a fortnight ago, outlines the Government's plan to rebuild the economy and create jobs. The plan will improve access to finance for small businesses, reduce costs and red tape, and improve supports for exports, management and innovation.

Supporting new and existing indigenous businesses, across all regions, to grow and export is central to our plans for recovery, growth and jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs contains a significant number of measures which are aimed specifically at the facilitation and incentivisation of growth among SMEs throughout the country. The introduction of a microfinance fund will provide loans of up to €25,000 to micro-enterprises in the Irish economy and the establishment of a potential exporter Division within Enterprise Ireland will stimulate greater activity within companies across all regions and reorient those demonstrating real growth potential from the domestic to the international market place.

The Industrial Development agencies under the aegis of my Department, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, together with the relevant County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) have been supporting enterprise development in the regions in question and will have a crucial role to play in the implementation of the various initiatives in the Action Plan for Jobs.

One of the targets for IDA Ireland in the Action Plan for Jobs is to have 50% of foreign direct investments based in locations outside of Dublin and Cork. In this regard, considerable success has been achieved in attracting high quality investment to both regions. At present, there are a total of 120 IDA supported companies employing over 17,500 people between both regions.

Currently, Enterprise Ireland has almost 700 clients employing over 17,500 people in the regions in question. In 2011, Enterprise Ireland-assisted companies created 457 new full-time jobs in the Midlands region and 1,144 in the West. In addition, over €6.7m was approved for the agency's client companies in the West regions.

In 2011, the County and City Enterprise Boards in the Midlands and Western Regions paid out over €2.3m in grant assistance to clients. Support for the microenterprise sector is being strengthened under the Action Plan for Jobs through the establishment of Local Enterprise offices in each county. I am confident that the measures outlined in the Action Plan for Jobs, together with the other policies and initiatives being pursued will continue to attract investment and employment opportunities to the two regions.