Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans for further job creation in Tallaght Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16553/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment is to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity through the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, which recognises the need for measures to support the unemployed and keep jobseekers close to the labour market. In this context, the major elements of the Government’s response are set out in the Department of Social Protection’s strategy, “Pathways to Work”, which is aimed at ensuring that as many as possible of the job vacancies that are created as the economy recovers, are filled by people from the Live Register - with a particular focus on those who are long-term unemployed or at risk of long-term unemployment.

The 2014 Action Plan for Jobs builds on the 2012 and 2013 Action Plans. This year’s Plan includes targets for Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the new Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to support a total of 30,500 direct new jobs during 2014.

In this context, South Dublin County Enterprise Board (CEB) offers a suite of supports, comprising business information and advice, financial supports, networking, mentoring and training to start-up and existing micro-enterprises in the County. In addition, South Dublin CEB works to promote an enterprise culture through one of the largest schools enterprise programmes in the country, covering Primary, Second Level and Third Level education. These supports are aimed at facilitating job creation at the micro-enterprise level throughout the South Dublin County area. Since its inception in 1993, South Dublin CEB has paid out over €10m in financial support to its clients, helping to create a total of 2,830 net additional full time equivalent jobs. In 2012 alone, 2,091 jobs were created in companies supported by the four CEBs operating in Dublin. 168 of these were created in companies based in South Dublin – including Tallaght – and supported by South Dublin CEB. South Dublin CEB operates a number of regional enterprise support programmes in partnership with the other three CEBs in the Dublin region, details of which are available on the CEBs’ website .

The Deputy will be aware that the system for delivery of State supports to micro and small enterprises is being reformed and that the 35 existing County and City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) will be dissolved and new Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) will be created. This reform will bring about a new level of engagement and interaction at both national and local level in relation to enterprise support and economic recovery and growth. The CEBs will be legally dissolved and the LEOs will come into being from 15 April 2014. When established, the LEOs will become the first-stop-shop through which information on national and local supports for business can be accessed, where new start-up and micro-enterprises can be grant-aided, where small businesses can receive training and mentoring, and where businesses with clear high growth potential can be fast-tracked to the next level of support from Enterprise Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland activity in Tallaght and South Dublin is focussed on job creation and export growth and offers a broad range of supports to industry to support growth in jobs and exports including funding for Business Development Managers for Bolbrook, Killinarden and Bawnogue Enterprise Centres, under the CEC Funding Scheme. In 2012, 4,097 jobs were created in Enterprise Ireland client companies based in Dublin. Further information on supports available from Enterprise Ireland can be obtained on the Agency’s website .

As is evidenced with IDA Ireland investment announcements over the past number of years, a significant number locate in Dublin so it is reasonable to expect that this trend will continue. In 2012, 6,389 jobs were created in IDA-supported companies in Dublin. In 2013, of the total number of announcements of investments made by the Agency, approximately 50% of them were for Dublin. In 2014 to date, there have already been six company announcements for Dublin. Typical examples of these include the announcement in January 2014 by Aspen, a global pharmaceutical company, in City West expanding its Irish operation by adding 42 new high quality jobs.

In addition, on 3 April 2014, Alexion announced plans to expand its operations in Ireland following the acquisition of a new site in West Dublin. The company expects that this expansion will create approximately 200 new jobs as part of an investment of approximately €75m over the next number of years. There have also been announcements by four high growth start-ups for Dublin with a combined total of 102 jobs requiring a variety of skillsets.

I am confident that these announcements, together with the delivery of the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 and the other initiatives outlined will have a positive impact on job creation in Tallaght and the greater Dublin area.