Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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81. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which he expects further job creation in the course of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2518/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this week we launched the fifth Action Plan for Jobs. A key objective of the Action Plan for Jobs process has been to rebuild our economy based on enterprise and entrepreneurship, talent, innovation and exports and provide a solid foundation for future growth. Irish industry has to been to the forefront of the economic recovery, with our enterprises and entrepreneurs innovating, developing and improving their products and services to meet the needs of customers in markets across the globe. The 2016 Plan is the first in a new phase of the Action Plan for Jobs process, after the original target of 100,000 extra jobs by 2016 was achieved last year, 21 months ahead of schedule. Since the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched in Q1 2012, 135,800 more people are at work. The unemployment rate has fallen below nine per cent for the first time since 2008, down from a high of 15.1 per cent in early 2012 to 8.8 per cent in December 2015.

Enterprise 2025is our 10 year jobs and enterprise strategy, which sets out the roadmap to build a sustainable economy and have 2.18 million people at work by 2020, which means 200,000 net additional jobs by 2020;this would mean more people at work than at any time in the history of the State.

The 2016 Action Plan marks the transition to the implementation of key Government policies that plan for medium term growth. Our target is to support the creation of an additional 50,000 new jobs in 2016, which would bring the number of people at work to over two million by the end of 2016.

The 2016 Action Plan for Jobs outlines 304 actions which will be implemented this year by 16 Departments and over 60 agencies, continuing the cross-Government approach to the top priority area of job creation. As in previous years the Plan contains five Disruptive Reforms-ambitious cross-Government initiatives that will have a significant measurable impact on job-creation:

- Step Up in Enterprise Skills Supply including the roll out of apprenticeships, establishing the Regional Skills Fora and launching the ICT portal;

- Stimulating Regional Growth: This will see the implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs, supported by €530 million in funding;

- All Government transactions with business will be available online by 2017, a move which will affect 370 Government transactions with 185,000 businesses across the country;

- National Clustering Initiative to deliver key enterprise policy goals including driving entrepreneurship, entering new markets, achieving a step change in enterprise productivity, and gaining access to new global supply chains; and

- Driving Intellectual Property in Enterprise - we will double the intellectual property outputs from business

We will also progress a suite of actions to deliver the skills needs of our growing economy; drive export-led growth; increase innovation; maintain and improve our competitiveness; increase entrepreneurial activity; ensure appropriate access to finance; stimulate the domestic economy; and increase labour market participation.

A strong economy with full employment that supports vibrant public services for our people is within our grasp if we make the right choices. The primary objective of the actions to be delivered in 2016 is to secure the gains already made and deliver on our target to have 200,000 net additional jobs by 2020, but, crucially, sustaining it for a generation.