Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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60. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the degree to which she expects to be in a position to encourage job creation throughout the regions with particular reference to those areas most deeply affected by the downturn in the economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30670/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is a central pillar of the Government’s ambition to create 200,000 new jobs by 2020, 135,000 of which are outside of Dublin. A key objective of each of the plans is to have a further 10 to 15 per cent at work in each region by 2020, with the unemployment rate of each region within one per cent of the national average. 

Progress to date is good and employment continues to grow strongly. Encouragingly, the unemployment rate has fallen in all regions in the past year while, during the same period, more than three out of every four new jobs created were outside Dublin.

In 2016, almost two thirds of new jobs created by Enterprise Ireland supported companies, and over half of those created by IDA supported companies, were outside Dublin.

Enterprise Ireland’s strategy for 2017-2020 aims to create a further 60,000 jobs, while sustaining existing ones, which will make an important contribution to jobs and economic growth across all regions of Ireland; IDA will continue to target a minimum increase in investment of 30% to 40% in each region outside Dublin to 2019.

The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the ‘first-stop-shop’ State support service for micro and small businesses in each local area. The LEOs are providing advice and direction, covering all government supports and requirements, to anyone who wishes to start or expand a business.  Last year's LEO annual jobs survey results highlighted three consecutive years of local jobs growth throughout the country: in 2016 there was a net increase of 3,679 jobs and total direct employment among LEO client companies stood at 34,634.

To further support enterprise development across all regions, additional funding of up to €60m is being rolled out by Enterprise Ireland over the next 4 years to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative projects that can sustain and add to employment at a national, regional and county level.  This regional competitive fund will support the ambition, goals and implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs.

In addition, additional funding of €150m is being made available to the IDA to support its Regional Property Programme and drive job creation in the multi-national sector.