Written answers

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Action Plan for Jobs

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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927. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress to date, in tabular form, on the annual targets for attaining 70,000 returned emigrants since the making of the commitment in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26483/16]

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The goal of this Government is to support the creation of an additional 200,000 jobs by 2020 with 135,000 outside Dublin and to achieve sustainable full employment. We also want to attract back 70,000 emigrants from aboard. This is a whole of Government effort and is delivered through our integrated Action Plan for Jobs. The Action Plan for Jobs process aims to strengthen the enterprise base, support entrepreneurship and start-ups, regain Ireland’s lost competitiveness and ensure the potential of the regions for development and job creation through Action Plan for Jobs – Regional is fully realised, supported by competitive regional funds.

Action Plan for Jobs 2016, the fifth such Plan, was launched in January 2016 and as well as building on reforms in previous years introduces new areas of focus such as: the National Talent Drive which aims to improve the employability of all and ensure that work always pays; and new sources of employment growth such as Energy Innovation, Intellectual Property and Design.

The Action Plan for Jobs process is working. Over 176,800 more people are at work since the first plan was launched at the start of 2012 and unemployment has fallen to 8.3% in august 2016. Action Plan for Jobs 2015 commits to 50,000 additional jobs this year. Good progress is being made with 36,000 additional at work in the first six months of the year.

The Action Plan for Jobs complements the Government’s Pathways to Work which set outs actions to be taken in support of those that are currently unemployed in order to help them access the labour market and new job opportunities. In addition, we know that there is demand for a range of skills and experienced professionals across the economy and there are opportunities for overseas talent to be attracted to Ireland, including attracting back our emigrants, as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government.

My Department and agencies, together with other Departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have a range of initiatives underway to connect with emigrants and other interested in a career in Ireland. At the end of June 2016, I launched Tech/Life Ireland, a new national initiative to brand Ireland as a top destination to pursue a career in technology. It is a focused international marketing initiative with a dedicated website, www.techlifeireland.com,to attract talented and experienced tech experts to Ireland and to promote top tech career opportunities here. Tech/Life Ireland is funded my Department and will be delivered in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the tech industry to help attract up to 3,000 top tech professionals to Ireland each year. Industry is playing an important role in supporting the initiative and driving its development.

It is too early to report on the numbers of returning emigrants to take up employment since the launch of the Programme for a Partnership Government which was launched in May this year, but we will be liaising with the CSO in relation to monitoring this data in due course.

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