Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps taken by him to create employment of those at risk of emigration. [3236/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The entire focus of the Action Plan for Jobs is on protecting existing jobs and supporting the creation of new ones. This is the most effective strategy to address the risk of emigration. It is designed to achieve a transition from an economy which became dependent on activities that were unsustainable and where over 300,000 jobs had been lost in the three years prior to March 2011.

The Action Plan for Jobs contained a wide range of measures:

- Improving access to finance

- Improving the supports for business and improving the business environment

- Increasing the number of start-up companies

- Securing and deepening FDI

- Improving exports and the competitiveness of Irish business

- Developing sectors of opportunity.

This is just a flavour of the extensive actions which my Department and its agencies have taken to help the enterprise sector to create employment.

We are beginning to see the positive impact of the Government’s policies. 2012 has seen private sector employment growth and significant net job creation by EI and IDA-supported companies, building on the positive results of 2011 and following successive years of significant job losses.

The 2013 Action Plan for Jobs will be published in the coming weeks and will once again include a range of actions to be delivered across Government to support job creation.