Cantillon: So many job initiatives, so little time

Confused by how many jobs the Government is going to create over the coming years? You’re not alone.

As if proof were needed that an election is around the corner, one need only look at the unending number of announcements made over the last few weeks proclaiming there will be work for all.

At the start of the week Taoiseach Enda Kenny and a motley crew of senior cabinet ministers fetched up in Naas where they unveiled the latest in a seemingly endless series of action plans for jobs, the newest of which is promising 50,000 jobs this year and up to 200,000 by 2020.

A few days earlier, many of the same individuals were in Athlone where they were announcing a €40 million regional jobs fund. Prior to this they were in Dublin to announce the “Pathways to Work” strategy, yet another plan to boost employment numbers.

As if that weren’t enough, we’ve also witnessed recent, big job target announcements from State bodies such as IDA. Last night, IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan was on hand in Davos to comment on up to 300 new jobs from First Data in Co Tipperary.

Any concerted efforts to cut unemployment figures, which lest we forget are still shockingly high, are to be welcomed but it’s hard not to be sceptical when faced with such a barrage of announcements shortly before an election.

This is particularly so when you consider many of the vague promises being made.

Those seeking concrete results may want to look elsewhere. As the Government itself put it in the press release it sent out on Monday, some 1,300 so-called “discrete actions” have been implemented since it unveiled its first Action Plan for Jobs in 2012. The Taoiseach unveiled a further 304 measures in Naas, some of which seem little more than window dressing while others have already been announced elsewhere.

The Government says 35,800 extra jobs have been created since its first action plan was introduced. Whether it can claim the credit for any or all of these is up for debate. Whether it wants you to believe it is behind them though is in no doubt.