Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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34. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the degree to which he continues to support development and foster opportunities in both the labour and product and services markets in order to ensure maximisation of opportunities for employers and employees in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30475/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department published the White Paper on Enterprise in December 2022, which set out Government’s enterprise policy for the period through to 2030. The White Paper on Enterprise details how we will deliver on our ambition of a vibrant, resilient, regionally balanced and sustainable economy made up of a diversified mix of leading global companies, internationally competitive Irish enterprises and thriving local businesses. This vision builds on the key principles that have served the Irish economy so well, while recognising the changes that are needed to prepare Irish enterprise for the challenges and the opportunities of the future.

The White Paper notes that enterprise policy will continue to ensure Ireland’s distinctive areas of competitive advantage, expertise and potential are fully realised, with a focus both on existing sectors of strength as well as new and emerging sectors of relevance. This will underpin Ireland’s resilience in the face of disruption and transition and allow Irish enterprises to access the opportunities and emerging growth sectors created by technological change, including the twin transitions.

Ireland’s position as a small economy means that it is essential for our economic resilience that Irish enterprises realise opportunities in global markets. As part of Enterprise Ireland’s Strategy for 2022-2024, ambitious targets are set for export growth and market diversification of the Enterprise Ireland client base. This includes growing the total value of exports reported by Enterprise Ireland client companies on an annual basis to €30 billion by 2024 and that 70% of their exports will go to destinations outside of the UK market. Enterprise Ireland has also set out to drive a major expansion in the number of new exporting companies. IDA Ireland continues to attract investment as well as high-skilled and high-paid jobs to the country. IDA targets include increasing total client expenditure in Ireland and ensuring over 50% of all new FDI investment is located outside of Dublin. Our Local Enterprise Offices are working to assist the locally traded sector, including through the expansion of provisions to businesses with between 10 and up to 50 employees. These efforts will enhance the export capabilities of local business, increase domestic employment and contribute towards wider targets on increasing multifactor productivity growth in our domestic sectors of the economy.

The commitments set out in the White Paper on Enterprise are being implemented through a series of consecutive two-year Implementation Plans, the first of which was published in May 2023, and covers the period through to the end of 2024. The first update report, covering H1 2023, shows that significant action is already being taken to advance the enterprise policy vision set out in the White Paper. The report outlines positive progress towards the achievement of the majority of the 15 target metrics as set out in the White Paper.

The second update report, which was developed by my Department in Q1 2024, outlines further positive progress towards the achievement of the majority of the 15 target metrics as set out in the White Paper. Key updates include the signing of the EU-Chile Free Trade Agreement, and the successful completion of the inaugural Team Ireland Trade Mission Week to the Republic of Korea, during 2023, which show Ireland’s continued commitment to expanding trade opportunities and opening new markets.

The first and second update reports are available publicly online.