Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 October 2024
162. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the degree to which he continues to encourage and foster job opportunities throughout the regions with particular reference to the need to ensure an even spread of employment opportunities nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43868/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation is a key policy priority for Government; we are committed to creating jobs and maintaining full employment in all regions across the country as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise.
Performance targets in the White Paper include metrics related to unemployment, new FDI investments and new jobs created outside of Dublin.
Many of the leading target metrics for the White Paper continued to exhibit strong performance figures up to end June 2024, showcasing the White Paper’s focus on creating a more prosperous, inclusive and regionally balanced enterprise base.
At the end of June 2024, full employment was maintained nationally. The employment situation remains well-balanced regionally, with only one region, the South-East, exceeding the national unemployment level by more than one percentage point, as of end June 2024.
The Regional Enterprise Plans (REPs) are an integral part of Ireland’s enterprise policy, aimed at driving economic growth and sustaining better standards of living throughout Ireland. These are bottom-up plans, developed by regional stakeholders that focus on undertaking collaborative initiatives that can help strengthen the regional enterprise ecosystem thereby realising enterprise growth and supporting job creation in each of the nine regions across Ireland.
A meeting of the National Oversight Group for the REPs, where implementation across all REPs will be discussed, is planned for Wednesday 6 November. I have decided, in consultation with key stakeholders in the REPs initiative, to extend the current plans for one year to the end of 2025 to allow for further implementation of current objectives and actions.
Up to €145 million has been secured for the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund, which will support projects aligned to the REPs. The Scheme will support the development of local enterprise infrastructure, innovation clusters, delivery of services to SMEs and early-stage feasibility and priming research. The Smart Regions Scheme builds on over €150 million in regional enterprise development funding allocated by my Department since 2017 through various Enterprise Ireland schemes and funds.
The 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) play an important role at local level, as part of a supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the country. They are the first stop shop for all businesses regardless of sector with over 370,000 small businesses eligible for some type of support from the LEOs.
The LEOs’ Annual Employment Results show that the LEOs now have a portfolio of 7,167 small businesses that account for 38,726 jobs across the country. 82% of these jobs are provided by businesses outside of Dublin, which again reflects this Government’s ambitions for balanced regional development.
Enterprise Ireland’s commitment to regional development is evident in its ambitious targets and comprehensive support programmes. Its strategy has set a target of creating 45,000 new jobs by 2024, two-thirds of which will be created outside Dublin. This approach is designed to mitigate the concentration of economic activity in the capital and promote balanced regional growth. In 2023, 225,495 people were employed by Enterprise Ireland client companies across Ireland. This represents an increase of 5,011 net jobs gained in 2023. More than two thirds, 68% of new jobs, were created outside Dublin. This regional focus is crucial for fostering economic resilience and ensuring that growth benefits are distributed more evenly across the country.
IDA Ireland is central to supporting the growth and stability of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) businesses, and year on year it has created pathways for companies across the globe to invest in Ireland. Ireland continues to be recognised as a highly stable and attractive location for FDI. IDA has over 1,800 client companies within its portfolio employing 300,583 people at the end of 2023. 163,471 or 54% of client employment is outside Dublin.
Regional development is a priority for IDA Ireland, which is targeting that at least half of all investments - that is 400 of 800 - from 2021 to 2024 will be in regional locations outside Dublin.
