Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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309. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which job creation through enterprise and innovation continues notwithstanding competition by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50413/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government has a new plan - Future Jobs Ireland - to ensure we are preparing now for the jobs of the future. While the economy is performing well with strong employment and wage growth, we cannot be complacent. In the past we took success for granted and failed to prepare for emerging challenges, trends and opportunities. It is my priority as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation to see more jobs created in the regions. Regional development is a key priority for this Government and it is important that the value of collaboration and the work by the development agencies, which has yielded strong jobs results in recent years, must be complimented by a bottom-up approach in providing critical business supports and advice.

Enterprise Ireland’s results for 2018 show the progress that the Agency has been making in driving enterprise development at a national and regional level. Enterprise Ireland assisted client companies created 18,846 jobs in 2018 and 64% of the jobs created were outside Dublin with all regions recording increases in employment. There were 215,207 people employed by Enterprise Ireland client companies in 2018, the highest total employment in the history of the Agency. Table 1 following breaks down the number of people employed in Enterprise Ireland client companies in 2018 by county.

The IDA’s results for 2018 demonstrate the progress we have been making in encouraging regional investment. Last year, 56% of all new jobs created by the Agency’s overseas clients were in locations outside Dublin. Every region in the country saw FDI-driven job gains. There are now over 132,000 people employed in IDA client firms outside the capital, representing nearly 60% (58%) of IDA-supported employment. These are all promising figures and show how real strides have been made in boosting FDI-related job creation across Ireland. Table 2 following breaks down the number of people employed in IDA Ireland client companies in 2018 by county.

In 2018 the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) supported clients increased employment by 8,007 gross new jobs which resulted in 3,656 net jobs being created across the LEO client portfolio bring the total number employed to 36,666. Also, in 2018, the LEOs provided training to 34,907 participants. Of these, 3,944 participants took part in the LEO-run ‘Start Your Own Business’ programmes. Table 3 following breaks down the number of people employed in LEO supported enterprises in 2018 by county.

The Government will continue to do our utmost to reinforce and strengthen these positive trends and to further job creation across the entirety of the country.

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3