Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

126. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which his Department continues to monitor the cost base in the manufacturing and services sectors, with particular reference to the need to remain competitive vis-a-vis European and non-European competitors; if particular costs have been identified as being a disincentive in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12571/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) will shortly publish its annual Costs of Doing Business in Ireland 2015 report which was conducted as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2015. This report will provide benchmarks of key business costs across a range of indicators and will identify areas where Irish enterprise costs are out of line with key competitors. The report will concentrate on costs that are largely domestically determined such as labour, property, energy, water, waste, communications and business services, and considers both price levels, and changes in those levels (i.e. price inflation). I understand that the report is currently being finalised by the Council: once it has been completed, I will be in a better position to comment in greater detail. Thereafter, the Council will identify a range of recommendations designed to address the issues identified. These recommendations will be included in the Council's annual Competitiveness Challenge report which is due to be completed in Q4 2015.

In the meantime, addressing Ireland's international cost competitiveness continues to be a key economic priority for Government. The Government's Action Plan for Jobs, which is co-ordinated and developed by my Department since 2012, sets out a comprehensive set of measures to improve our competitiveness performance, with a specific focus on improving cost competitiveness. Cost-focused actions in the 2015 Plan include measures addressing legal costs, energy efficiency, commercial rates, and regulated charges.

As a result of a range of APJ initiatives over recent years, substantial progress has been made in terms of improving Ireland's competitiveness in recent years and we have climbed to 15th in the IMD competitiveness rankings.