James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the policy changes he plans to implement to encourage greater job opportunities for counties Longford and Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3576/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Jobs continues to be the Government’s main policy instrument to support employment in all regions of the country.

Employment has increased nationally by approximately 80,000 since the start of the Action Plan process in 2012. However, not all regions are yet fully experiencing the benefits of economic recovery. That is why the Government is placing an increased emphasis on supporting job creation at regional level.

The 2014 Action Plan for Jobs contained a number of measures to support competitive regions, including the development of a framework for Regional Enterprise Strategies and the commencement of building works by the IDA on advanced manufacturing facilities and office space in a number of regional locations. We will intensify our focus on the regions in 2015 and, as I have announced previously, we will develop Enterprise Strategies for each region. In a manner similar to the Action Plan for Jobs, the Regional Enterprise Strategies will identify measures that can be taken to enable each region as a whole to realise its economic potential and create jobs, building on its existing competitive strengths and opportunities.

The first Regional Enterprise Strategy to be published will cover the Midlands region, which includes the counties of Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly. Over the past number of months, officials from Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and my Department have been involved in a series of engagements with the main stakeholder groups in the Midlands to discuss the strengths and opportunities that can be built upon to support enterprise and jobs growth in that region.

All proposals received through these stakeholder engagements are being examined by my officials who are currently finalising the preparation of the Regional Enterprise Strategy for the Midlands. The process is concentrated on identifying practical actions that can be taken in the short-to-medium term, and broadly within existing resources, to improve the operating environment for businesses.

In the last number of weeks, the Government stated its ambition to achieve full employment by 2018. Achieving this objective will be supported by each region realising its economic potential.