96% Measures In Action Plan for Jobs To Be Delivered

144 out of 150 measures scheduled in the Action Plan for Jobs to be delivered in the first quarter of 2013 have been implemented, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation have announced as they published the Action Plan for Jobs Fifth Progress Report.

Measures delivered include:

• Implemented range of measures to deliver an additional 2,000 ICT graduates over the next year. The changes made aim to deliver an additional 700 additional employment permits in the ICT sector and an additional 1300 graduates from industry-led programmes, as well as a 33% decrease in processing time for permits. International research has shown that for every high-tech job created, a further 4-to-5 jobs are created elsewhere in the economy

• Published and commenced implementing the Government’s plan to deliver an additional 20,000 manufacturing jobs by 2016

• Approved a Government investment of €200million in seven world-class SFI research centres, in partnership with €100million industry investment

• Implemented the 10 Point Tax Plan for the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector as announced in Budget 2013

• A €1million initial investment in an industry-led technology centre in Big Data, a sector growing at 40% per annum which provides particular job opportunities for Ireland

• Provided support for, via the National Pensions Reserve Fund, the delivery of a range of Funds totalling €850million aimed at providing credit for SMEs

The Tánaiste said: "Trade promotion and assisting indigenous business to trade is another area of activity vital to our recovery. I was pleased to launch, with Minister Bruton, the 2013 programme of Ministerial events targeting trade and investment for Ireland.

"Earlier this month I led a successful trade mission to Turkey where we made important progress in developing new markets for Irish business and, with over 30 million in contracts signed, helped to create and support jobs in Ireland.

"In response to the largest unemployment crisis ever faced by this State, the Government established a rolling multi-annual Action Plan for Jobs to get Ireland working again. Today's progress report confirms that Government is delivering on its commitments to date, leading to real progress on our task of transforming the economy from one based on property speculation to one based on enterprise, exports and innovation. These plans are beginning to make a real impact with the creation of 1,000 new private sector jobs a month. However, although this is movement in the right direction, there is much more to be done and we will continue to accelerate job creation measures in our Action Plan."

(CD/MH)