Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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96. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which job creation, in both the manufacturing and services sectors, continues to be spread throughout the regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18894/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Jobs since 2012 has set a comprehensive set of measures agreed by Government to promote job opportunities and employment growth in all regions. While every region and firm has yet to recover all the jobs lost in the downturn, the Action Plan for Jobs is having a positive impact with employment up in all eight regions of the country since the first Plan was launched in early 2012 (NUTS 3).

So as to ensure we recover all the jobs lost and establish sustainable platforms for growth for the future in the regions, as part of the 2015 Action Plan for Jobs I am leading the development of Regional Action Plans for Jobs. The development of Regional Action Plans, through a bottom-up process of stakeholder consultation, will identify those actions at regional level that can help achieve specific impacts in terms of jobs, sales and exports, entrepreneurship and startups, innovation and market penetration and access to talent. I have participated in stakeholder fora in every region over recent weeks and there is a consensus that to achieve these impacts there is a need to strengthen and deepen regional collaboration – that is through local authorities, regional bodies, and higher education institutions, the private sector and communities coming forward with innovative ideas to boost job creation in their area and working together to deliver on those actions. My Department is committed to working with stakeholders in the regions in identifying regional strengths, assets and areas of competitive advantage in order to support businesses to start-up, succeed, expand, and export so as to grow sustainable employment for the future.

The number of people at work in the mid-west is up by 2,400; in the west by 4,000; in the midlands by 8,900; in the south-west by 9,000; in the mid-east region by 9,100; in the border region by 11,300; in the south-east by 23,300 and in Dublin by 46,000. Over the same period there are 73,400 more people at work in industry and services, and 13,400 more people at work in construction

With regard to employment in Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Udaras na Gaeltacht client companies between 2012 and 2014, the manufacturing sector recorded increases of 10% in the Midlands, 9% in the Mid-East, 8% in the West, 6% in the | South West, 6% in the Mid-West and 4% in the Border region since 2012. Overall, employment in the manufacturing sector increased by 5% between 2012 and 2014 to reach 185,545 full time employees in agency-assisted firms.

In the internationally traded services sector between 2012 and 2014, all regions experienced employment growth. Employment increased by 28% in the Border region, 18% in the South East, 16% in the South West, 16% in Dublin,13% in the Midlands ,10% in the Mid-West, 6% in the Mid-East and 6% in the West since 2012. Overall, employment in the services sector increased by 15% between 2012 and 2014 to 134,052 full time employees in agency-assisted firms.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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97. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which innovation continues to play a major role in job creation, in both the manufacturing and services sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18895/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The importance of science, technology and innovation (STI) to Ireland is recognised by the Government as being crucial to growth in our indigenous and FDI sectors and plays a key role in job creation. Investment in STI is an essential component of supporting an innovative and enterprising economy. It assists in creating and maintaining high-value jobs and attracts, develops and nurtures business, scientists and talented people, ensuring Ireland is connected and respected internationally.

My Department and its agencies are focused on the development and support of internationally trading manufacturing and services firms in Ireland, and have a clear and steady focus on the potential and opportunities that exist and can be created by prioritising innovation and technology as a key driver of success. Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland provide a spectrum of innovation and science/technology development programmes that deliver financial, technical and experiential support to help companies become more innovative, encourage and support competitiveness, and help them grow their sales and exports in order to create a climate in which sustainable employment will grow and expand.

Evidence, from both the EU and internationally, shows that the Government’s strategy of accelerating the economic and societal return on our STI investment is paying off. Globally, Ireland is ranked:

-1st in the world for the availability of skilled labour [Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook];

-11th in the Global Innovation Index 2014 out of 143 countries [Source: Cornell University, INSEAD and WIPO 2014]

-13th in the world for university-industry collaboration on R&D [Source: Global Competitiveness Report 2013-2014]

In addition, Ireland has improved its position for 2 years in a row in the European Commission Innovation Union Scoreboard according to the 2015 edition published just last week. We are now ranked 8^thamongst the 28 EU Member States moving from 9^thplace in 2014 and 10^thplace in 2013. It is particularly encouraging to see that Ireland is the overall leader in two specific dimensions: Innovators – which measures how innovative firms are; and Economic Effects - which captures economic success stemming from innovation in terms of employment, revenue and exports.