Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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387. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the levels of employment generated by exports to the north of Ireland, Britain, America, Germany, France, Japan or others for each of the past five years. [45697/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Driving export growth is central to our economic recovery and is a key focus of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs. Enterprise Development Agency-supported companies account for more than 80% of Ireland’s total exports.

CSO figures show that our strong export performance is continuing. Total exports in 2012 by companies based in Ireland amounted to €182.155bn – an increase of 5.48% over the figure of €172.696bn for 2011.

CSO figures also show that exports to Northern Ireland, Great Britain, the USA, Germany, France and Japan amounted to €89.082bn in 2012, or 48.9% of total exports. This figure represented an increase of €5.711bn or 6.9% over the figure of €83.371bn for 2011, despite the slow-down in the growth of the main economies that buy our exports.

Details of exports to France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Northern Ireland and United States over the period 2008 to 2012 are set out in the table accompanying this reply. Exports of Goods and Services to “All Countries” are also included in this Table. Separate data on Services exports to Northern Ireland is not published by the CSO.

In 2012, Enterprise Ireland had a record year for exports by their client companies of €16.2bn, which were up by €1bn, or 6%. IDA supported companies also saw an increase in exports to €122bn in 2011, (the latest figures available) which were up by 8%, from €110bn in 2010. 2012, was also a particularly good year for job creation in companies supported by these Agencies, with IDA client companies creating a total of 12,722 gross new jobs. Clients of Enterprise Ireland created 12,861 gross new jobs. The export intensity of indigenous agency assisted firms has risen from 36% to 51% in the past decade. In total, agency assisted companies accounted for direct employment of 285,000 in 2011 and 294,000 in 2012, and are indirectly responsible for a similar number of jobs in ancillary and support services.

The latest Central Statistics Office release shows that employment increased by 33,800 in the year to Quarter 2 2013, net of a reduction of 5,400 in public sector numbers. This was the third consecutive Quarter where an increase in employment was recorded.

We have now moved from a situation where the private sector was losing over 7,000 jobs per month before this Government came to office, to the present situation where it is creating close to 3,000 jobs per month. As highlighted in my Budget 2014 press release on 15 October, both Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland have a target of 12,000 gross jobs growth each for 2014. I am determined, through the implementation of the Government’s annual Action Plan for Jobs process, to continue the transition to a sustainable economy, through growing our exports, and creating the jobs we need.

Central to the Action Plan is ensuring greater access for Irish companies to real opportunities to break into new markets, grow their exports and create much needed jobs for this economy. I am currently preparing the 2014 Action Plan on behalf of the Government and we will continue, through that process, to build on the success of the actions we have taken over the last two years.

Table: Exports to France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Northern Ireland and United States 2008 to 2012

Goods

Services

Goods and Services

All Countries