Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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253. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the details of the international competitiveness ranking metric which Enterprise 2025 is referring to in the target set for gaining a top three ranking among the most competitive small countries in the world; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22635/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise 2025 sets out a total of 30 metrics against which success of our policies can be measured over time. In terms of overarching national outcomes one of the metrics relates to Ireland's competitiveness.

The  metric used is sourced from the World Bank Doing Business. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. The rankings cover ten topics, each consisting of several indicators, giving equal weight to each topic.

At the time of developing Enterprise 2025, Ireland ranked 13th overall and 7th when compared with small economies. Based on the most recent World Bank data, Ireland's ranking has dropped to 9th when compared with small economies.

However, as measured by the IMD's World Competitiveness Yearbook, Ireland's relative competitiveness has improved since 2011 - moving from 16th to 7th in 2016. According to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, Ireland's ranking has moved up from 25th to 24th position.

Ireland's relative competitiveness and ease of doing business is crucially important as we face a considerably changed global landscape.  

In this context I have asked my officials to undertake a progress review of Enterprise 2025 and of our performance overall against the range of metrics used. We need to determine the extent to which the policy framework and priorities set out in Enterprise 2025 are robust in light of potentially disruptive global change and domestic enterprise growth dynamics and changes necessary. In addition, the work of the National Competitiveness Council is of considerable value in highlighting specific challenges in terms of relative competitiveness that will inform our policy responses