Speaking Points for the Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, at the Launch of the Regional Action Plans for Jobs Strategy on Wednesday 11th February 2015

Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Croke Park for the launch of the Government’s €250 million plan to ensure that no part of Ireland is left behind in the jobs recovery.

We have set ourselves two important jobs goals. When we came into office we said we would create 100,000 new jobs by 2016, and recently with the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs we have committed to returning to full employment by 2018.

I am confident that by meeting our 2015 target of 40,000 new jobs that we will beat the 100,000 jobs target early and it will be a vital stepping stone to full employment.

While recovery is underway, we cannot let it bypass families or communities on the basis of their location.

Irish recovery is for all of Ireland.

Every part of the country has seen an increase in jobs since the start of the Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. These jobs are already starting to make a difference in the lives of families and communities throughout the country.

However, not all regions are yet fully experiencing the benefits of economic recovery. The unemployment rate in some areas is still far above the national average.

That is not acceptable and we are committed to securing recovery across the country.

Balanced regional development has been a feature of our jobs plans to date.

The 2011 reduction in VAT for tourism services in conjunction with abolishing the tourist tax has rejuvenated the industry and has created tens of thousands of jobs in four years.

The implementation of the new €4 billion Rural Development Programme will also commence in 2015, following agreement of the Programme with the European Commission.

With the right supports and policy approach the agri-food sector has gone from strength to strength since we entered office. Just this week we witnessed Irish beef, the best in the world, re-enter the American market where demand for high quality produce is high.

And as part of the National Broadband Plan, we will be improving broadband provision to support economic growth, jobs and entrepreneurship in rural Ireland.

But we can and must do more.

It requires an individual and targeted approach. There is no one size fits all solution for job creation for every part of Ireland.

Just like the teams that do battle here, every part of Ireland has their own individual strengths.

We need a plan that can help every region in Ireland to use their strengths to create jobs and grow their own economy.

Today, as part of this Strategy, we are announcing that new funding of up to €250 million will be made available over the next five years to deliver on this.

The Regional Action Plans for Jobs will seek to maximise the strengths and assets of each region to support enterprise growth and job creation.

This includes up to €150 million for an IDA property investment programme to attract foreign direct investment into the regions.

This will involve the construction of 9 new advance facilities across Ireland with three to be built each year for the next three years.

However, as Minister Bruton stressed it is Irish companies that are leading the recovery in rural Ireland. Job creation in export orientated Irish companies has reached new records and is spread right across the country.

As a result Enterprise Ireland is committing €100 million to be allocated on a competitive basis with most funds awarded to local projects offering the best prospects for jobs creation.

Last year, under the 2014 Action Plan for Jobs, the Government developed a framework for the preparation of Regional Enterprise Strategies.

These plans are being put together by those on the ground, who know their local strengths, and who know how to use them to create jobs and provide for their community.

It is the way forward for local job creation and securing local recovery.

This new approach was tested in the Midlands towards the end of 2014, and the Midlands Action Plan for Jobs, the first of these new Regional Action Plans, will be published in the next few weeks. Six further regional Action Plans will be completed and published by July.

This is not to say we don’t still have a lot to do at national level to help local job creation.

In the coming weeks and months we will be publishing new medium term plans for tourism, skills, work activation, infrastructural investment, childcare and the next phase of broadband investment. This is in addition to maintaining a stable and responsible approach to the national finances and our international relationships.

All of these plans are part of our strategy to rebuild a strong, enterprise economy that can support full employment.
The Tanaiste will also say a few words.