Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to address the high levels employment deprivation in County Tipperary, specifically in areas of the north of the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31432/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Regional Action Plans for Jobs are aimed at maximising the strengths and assets of each region, to support enterprise growth and job creation.

The key strength of the stakeholders like the Local Authorities, the educational bodies, the Enterprise Development Agencies and the private sector all working collaboratively to maximise opportunities, means that every county will benefit under this initiative.

Tipperary is covered by both the South East Action Plan for Jobs and the Mid-West Action Plan for Jobs. I am committed to working with the various agencies and stakeholders in the South East and Mid West, through the Regional APJ Implementation Committees, to ensure that the positive employment trends we have been seeing across all regions continue and that more jobs are ultimately created.

Numbers in employment in the Mid West region have increased by 9,300 since Q1 2015, when the Regional Action Plan project was launched. The unemployment rate has declined from 10.2% to 6.8%. In the South East, 12,400 more people are in employment and the unemployment rate has decreased from 12.8% to 9.3% over the same period.

Tipperary is now home to 12 existing IDA Ireland clients who between them employ almost 3,370 people. In 2016, Enterprise Ireland-supported companies in Tipperary employed 5,352 people, a net gain on 290 on 2015. Client companies supported by the Tipperary Local Enterprise Office created 436 gross new jobs in 2016. Total employment among LEO Tipperary clients was 1,437 at the end of last year.

To further support enterprise development in all areas of the country my Department is providing additional funds through the agencies out to 2020. 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. In addition, 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.