Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1668. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department is conducting or planning to conduct an industrial development policy review in view of the results in the elections in the UK and the USA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1945/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As a small open economy, Ireland operates in an environment of continuous and fast-paced change globally – and has done for decades. In today’s increasingly inter-connected world, geopolitical, technological and financial forces that happen elsewhere have implications for Ireland’s economic growth. Competition to attract FDI has intensified significantly, and all FDI is hard won.

Enterprise 2025 was published just over a year ago and sets a roadmap for longer term enterprise development. Our vision for Ireland is to be the best place to succeed in business, delivering sustainable employment and higher standards of living for all. Enterprise 2025 sets out actions that focus on building competitive advantage, on ensuring a supportive business environment, and on realising a significant uplift in the performance of enterprises based here in terms of innovation, export potential and productivity, and on attracting further investment.

We have put in place policies that ensure we are anticipatory and responsive and build resilience in our enterprise base. These policies are working. I have already secured additional resources so that we can redouble our efforts in light of global developments over the past year. The enterprise development agencies are actively engaged in supporting enterprises as they navigate through today’s particular trials, and to identify potential FDI opportunities.

We are making significant progress to reach our ambition to have 2.18 million people in employment by 2020, with growth delivered throughout the country. Based on the latest CSO data there are now over 2 million people at work. There are almost 190,000 additional people are at work since the start of the Action Plan for Jobs Process in 2012. Over the last twelve months alone, an additional 56,500 are at work. The enterprise development agencies recorded another successful year in 2016 in terms of supporting job creation and investment. The unemployment rate is now down to 7.2%, from over 15.1% in 2012. Ireland is now ranked 7th overall in the IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook - a significant improvement since 2009.

Nevertheless while Enterprise 2025 remains relevant in terms of its focus on resilience of the enterprise base, I have asked my officials to review its progress and identify additional actions or changes necessary in light of more recent global challenges.