Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise development and job creation in the regions of Ireland is a key policy priority of this Government and my Department has been actively engaged in the regional jobs agenda through the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) initiative for the past two years.

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 8 regional 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 not more than one percentage point greater than the national average.

The North-East/North-West Regional Action Plan for Jobs is the key policy response for supporting employment growth in the Border region.  It includes a series of practical actions to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region, with clear timelines for delivery. The Action Plans seek to capitalise on the particular strengths and opportunities of the region and has been developed by my Department, with the support of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, in close consultation with regional stakeholders from the public and private sectors. 

A central aim of the regional Action Plans for Jobs is to champion the concept of regional collaboration from the ‘ground up’ to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the region that grows jobs and enterprises. The Local Authorities, enterprise agencies, and other key public and private sector stakeholders across counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth have been strongly involved in, and are key drivers of, the NE/NW Action Plan.

The core objective of the NE/NW Action Plan is to have a further 28,000 at work in the region by 2020. The Plan aims to stimulate job creation across the region, by facilitating collaborative initiatives between the public and private sector, and through the provision of new competitive funds, awarded through Enterprise Ireland to support regional enterprise projects.

Sectors targeted as part of the Border plan include traditionally strong sectors for the region like agrifood, manufacturing/engineering and tourism.

Implementation of the Plan’s 194 actions continues and is overseen and monitored by two Implementation Committees covering the North-West and the North-East regions which are composed of key regional stakeholders from both the private and public sector, and chaired by a regional enterprise champion.

Importantly, the Plan has been embraced within the regions and over 90% of the Plan’s actions are on track to be delivered or have been completed. The Progress reports are available at www.regionalapj.ie.

In terms of impact, 12,000 more people are in employment in the Border region from Q1 2015 (baseline year) to Q2 2017, representing good progress towards the target of 28,000 jobs by 2020 as set out in the Regional Action Plan.

In December last year I announced an allocation of €30.5 million in funding to support enterprise capability in the regions, with 21 projects from all over the country receiving funding. This Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) totalling €60 million 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.  The Fund supports the ambition, goals and implementation of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs.

Three projects from the Border region were successful under Call 1 of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund: a network of three Digital and Innovation Hubs (incl. in Co. Leitrim); a new Digital Innovation Hub and enterprise capacity building programme in Co. Donegal; and a Regional Food Centre of Excellence in Co. Monaghan. I look forward to launching a second competitive call for projects under the Enterprise Ireland Regional Enterprise Development Fund in March this year, which will make available the remainder of the €60 million in funding to support enterprise capability in the regions following the initial allocation under Call 1.

The enterprise agencies continue their work to contribute towards the ambitious targets set out in the Regional Action Plan. Enterprise Ireland recently announced a 4% employment growth in its client companies for the Border region, which now employ almost 11,500 people. On the FDI front, the number of IDA-backed jobs grew by 4% as a whole last year, with almost 12,500 people employed in IDA companies in the region.

Through partnership between Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities, the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) supported 1,152 small and micro-businesses employing over 5,720 people in the Border region during 2016. The LEOs continue to play a vital role in providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own businesses. Results for 2017 are expected to be published shortly.

Of course, the Regional Action Plans on their own are not sufficient.  They are being complemented by other programmes that the Government is working on at national level, including the national Action Plan for Jobs, the Action Plan for Rural Development, Regional Skills fora, and the forthcoming National Planning Framework.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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69. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she has reviewed the action plan for jobs for the south east; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5944/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise development and job creation in the regions of Ireland is a key policy priority of this Government and my Department has been actively engaged in the regional jobs agenda through the Regional Action Plan for Jobs (RAPJ) initiative for the past two years.

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 8 regional 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 not more than one percentage point greater than the national average.

The South East Action Plan for Jobs is a key policy response for supporting employment growth in the South East, with public and private stakeholders currently engaged in driving the range of innovative and practical actions set out in the Plan.  It includes a series of practical actions to support enterprise growth and job creation in the region, with clear timelines for delivery. The Action Plans seek to capitalise on the particular strengths and opportunities of the region and a central aim is to champion the concept of regional collaboration from the ‘ground up’ to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the region that grows jobs and enterprises.

Progress on implementation of the Regional Action Plans is constantly under review and two Progress Reports on the implementation of the Plan’s 194 actions have been published to date, with a third one currently being finalised that will cover the second half of 2017. All reports show that good progress is being made, and over 90% of the Plan’s actions are on track to be delivered, or have been completed.  

Importantly, the South East Regional Plan for Jobs has been embraced within the region and the efforts by stakeholders and businesses in the region are paying off: 16,200 more people are in employment in the South East from Q1 2015 (baseline year) to Q2 2017, representing significant progress towards the 25,000 target for 2020 as set out in the plan.

Also, over the 12 months to Q2 2017, there has been a slight improvement in the number of people employed in the region (+700).

However, while Live Register numbers have fallen in all south-eastern counties in the past 12 months, CSO figures show that the unemployment rate in the South East is currently at 8% (Q3 2017), which places the region in a small group of those (including the Midlands and Mid-West) whose unemployment rates are more than one percentage point higher than the State average.

This is too high, especially since the Q3 2017 State average is 6.9%, and underlines the importance of retaining a focus on regional enterprise development and job creation in the South East.

In 2017, both Enterprise Ireland and IDA reported job increases in the South East of 4% and 9% respectively, the latter figure being the largest increase of all regions in the State in this period.

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) operating under the auspices of the Local Authorities and Enterprise Ireland continue to play a vital role in providing advice and guidance, financial assistance and other supports to those wishing to start or grow their own businesses in the region. The LEOs in the South East had 1,274 clients in 2016 employing 6,690 people. Results for 2017 are expected to be published shortly.

Building on the strong progress and the momentum of collaboration achieved to date in the South East through the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative is my priority and I and my Department look forward to further engagement with regional stakeholders in relation to prioritisation and focus of actions to achieve the employment targets set out to 2020.

My Department is also working closely with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in relation to the National Planning Framework and development of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and with the Department of Rural and Community Development on roll out of the Action Plan for Rural Development.