Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his policy on tackling competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37432/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Competitiveness is determined by a variety of factors, including the cost of doing business, productivity levels, the availability of skilled labour, good infrastructure, the quality and intensity of innovation and research, and regulation that supports enterprise growth. Ireland has regained some of the competitiveness it had lost and this is reflected in the fact that Ireland’s rating improved four places from 24th to 20th in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2012. Earlier this month, the World Economic Forum also reported that Ireland has improved its competitiveness ranking, from 29th to 27th place in that organisation’s Global Competitiveness Index.

Despite these encouraging trends, we must ensure that the improvements we have achieved in our competitiveness are structural in nature and sustained in the longer-term. The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs includes a range of initiatives to improve our competitiveness, including measures to:

- promote investment in innovation and research,

- reduce costs for businesses,

- align skills with enterprise needs,

- prioritise infrastructural investment, and

- reduce costs through sensible regulation.

Details of the specific measures to be taken in each of these areas are available in the Action Plan for Jobs which is available on my Department’s website, www.djei.ie. I am also commencing drafting of the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs which will have a strong focus on continuing to improve Ireland’s competitiveness.