Govt focus on regional job creation will benefit the Cavan/Monaghan area – O’Reilly

Fine Gael TD for Cavan/Monaghan, Joe O’Reilly has welcomed the launch of the Action Plan for Jobs – Regional by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD. This is a five year, €250million strategy aimed at accelerating the jobs recovery in every part of the country.

“With the creation of 80,000 jobs and the economic recovery well underway, the investment contained in the Action Plan for Jobs – Regional will help create jobs in all parts of the country including in Cavan and Monaghan.

“Employment is growing in every region and even in the past few weeks there have been major jobs announcements for Combilift and Lakeland Dairies. This is a great start but extra resources are still needed to accelerate job creation in regional areas which is lagging behind the big cities. That is what the Action Plan for Jobs – Regional is all about.

“The Action Plan for Jobs – Regional will see each region d eveloping its own Action Plan. An Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland official will be assigned to lead the project in each region and local stakeholders including local authorities, business and community groups will come together to focus on the strengths of the area and how they can be utilised to their full potential.

“Enterprise Ireland will provide funding of €100 million over the five years on a competitive basis. They will pick the best businesses with the best prospects. In addition IDA Ireland will roll out a 5-year €150million capital investment programme to help attract more multinational jobs into each region.

“While recovery is under way, we cannot let it bypass families or communities on the basis of their location. Cavan and Monaghan are both very well situated to attract to new business and for local businesses to have access to other markets, including Northern Ireland. We have the infrastructure and we have a wealth of local talent and skills. I am hopeful that this reviewed focus on spreading the recovery to regional areas will be of great benefit to the people of this area.

“This plan looks at development from the ‘bottom-up’, looking at local communities, agencies and organisations and assessing what supports they need to grow. The Action Plan for Jobs has proven a major success in creating jobs and boosting the economic recovery. I am hopeful that the Regional Action Plan for Jobs will be equally as effective in creating new jobs, businesses and opportunities throughout Cavan and Monaghan.”