Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs lost in each of the past five years and to date in 2012; if in the indigenous sector or in the area of foreign direct investment; the most often quoted reason for job relocation from this to other jurisdictions; the steps he has taken to address such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52062/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Forfás Annual Employment Survey reports on the jobs created and lost in the companies supported by the enterprise development agencies. Details of the number of jobs lost in client companies of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in the 5 year period 2007 to 2011 are set out in the following tabular statement. As figures are compiled on an annualised basis, figures in respect of 2012 will not be available until year end.

Job losses arise in the internationally trading sector of the economy for a variety of reasons including changing competitiveness, competition from sister sites, product and technology lifecycles, global location rationalisation as a result of mergers and acquisitions, or an amalgam of these factors. In the majority of the cases involving relocation, the shift is to lower cost emerging economies with a smaller number of cases relocating to other developed country locations, largely in Eastern Europe. Some of the job losses are due to cyclical factors and will be recovered.

IDA’s strategy “Horizon 2020 ” is focussed on winning as many new jobs as possible each year and giving equal priority to maintaining existing jobs. IDA has assured me that it continues to focus sharply on both encouraging and assisting its client companies to move up the value chain in terms of carrying out higher skilled operations and expanding their presence in Ireland. The IDA’s aim is to retain existing clients, improve the quality of employment opportunities in Ireland and increase the positive economic impact. It does this by assisting its clients to:

- improve company – wide competitiveness

- enhance the use of new technologies

- grow the skills of the business

- engage in Research, Development and Innovation

- develop new business processes, and make company operations more energy efficient

2011 was a very good year for FDI in Ireland and in 2011 over 13,000 new jobs were created in IDA supported companies. To date in 2012 there have been 801 IDA investment announcements with the potential to create over 8,550 jobs.

Table showing the number of jobs lost in both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland Client Companies in each of the years 2007 to 2011