Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding emigration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1263/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Both inward and outward migration have been a feature of Ireland’s labour force for many years and they will continue to be a feature of a modern globalised economy where mobile workers follow job opportunities. The latest official figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that an estimated 87,100 people of all nationalities left the country in the year to April 2012. Irish nationals accounted for 53 per cent of the total, or 46,500 people. However, the CSO statistics also indicate that 52,700 came to Ireland in the same period, including 20,600 Irish people returning to the country.

The Government inherited a situation where over 300,000 jobs had been lost in the three years prior to March 2011, our banking system had all but collapsed, and we were in the middle of a world-wide economic downturn. Previous Governments had become too dependent on a small number of sectors to support economic performance – an approach that was neither wise nor sustainable.

This Government has set about transforming the economy, firstly by making fiscal consolidation more job friendly, including through tax changes, asset sales and the creation of a stimulus package. Also by setting clear targets for SME lending by the Banks as well as the introduction of a Microfinance Fund and a state backed Loan Guarantee Scheme. We have introduced the annual Action Plan for Jobs process to support employment creation by the enterprise sector, based on innovation, entrepreneurship and exporting. We have also developed the Pathways to Work initiative to transform our engagement with those who are unemployed, including young unemployed people.

Despite a very difficult domestic and external economic environment, we are beginning to see the positive impact of the Government’s policies. 2012 saw significant net job creation by EI and IDA-supported companies, building on the positive results of 2011 and following successive years of significant net job losses.

Even with continued job losses in more traditional sectors such as Construction, and Financial, Insurance and Administrative activities, we have seen an increase in employment in sectors targeted by the Action Plan for Jobs, for example Tourism Agri-food, ICT and Digital Gaming. These developments demonstrate the transformation which is taking place in the economy which had become too dependent on the Construction sector and domestic demand to support economic growth.

By continuing the process of transforming our economy step by step through the Action Plan for Jobs, we aim to provide opportunities for those who wish to continue to live and work in Ireland.