FG €4bn Jobs Fund will help deliver unemployment rate below 7% for every Region – Kenny

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, today (Monday) launched Fine Gael’s plan to support jobs growth throughout Ireland and to bring unemployment below 7% in every region.  

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, argued that a stable coalition of Fine Gael and Labour, with a Regional jobs plan already under way, would deliver for every region, while Fianna Fáil has no plan and Independents with a local focus and little power, would never deliver on ambitious national and regional plans for jobs.

Speaking in Eishtec, Co.Waterford, An Taoiseach said:

“Fine Gael is already implementing eight regional Action Plans for Jobs up to 2018, and has allocated €250m to help spread growth to all areas.  To ensure that no region is left behind, we are now committing significant funds from our €4 billion Future Jobs Investment Fund. We will develop new Regional Action Plans for Jobs for the period after 2018, to build stronger regions and drive job creation. Specific additional measures to achieve this will include:

·          We will commit an extra €10 million for Ireland’s regional airports to guarantee their future.

·          We will establish a new Atlantic Economic Corridor along the west coast, with strong transport and enterprise links.

·          We will invest in new Technological Universities, and other educational initiatives.

·          We will make additional resources available through IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland to promote greater clustering in key industry sectors such as tech, biotech, renewable energy and medtech, e.g., the National Health Innovation Hub based in Cork.

“Fine Gael and Labour already have a track record in delivering strong regional jobs growth and the return of that stable Government over the next five years will see it build on that. Fianna Fáil has no plan to develop our regions while it’s an area that Independents, with their local focus, simply won’t be able to, or won’t be interested in, delivering on. That is at the heart of the choice the electorate will have to make on the 26^th.”

Minister Bruton added:

“Competitive regions and job creation are at the heart of our Long Term Economic Plan. As a small, open economy, we’re not going to create regional jobs by building houses and selling them to each other. We have to make things that others want to buy. To do that, we need to be competitive.

“The regional airports – Donegal Airport, Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK), Waterford Airport and Kerry Airport – are vital for regional job creation and Fine Gael’s plan will guarantee their future.

Minister Flanagan said:

“Since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched over 45% of the 135,000 jobs created were in exporting sectors. Fianna Fáil in Government oversaw a period from 2000-2007 when just 1% of the new jobs were in exports, with 65% in construction and the public sector. The loss of these jobs ripped Ireland’s regions apart. By building a strong, sustainable economy and developing our trade links abroad, the Fine Gael plan will support stronger regions.”