Government claims progress on its action plan for jobs

The Government today reported progress on the roll-out of its action plan for jobs, claiming 96 per cent of the proposed measures had already been delivered.

The range of policy initiatives, which include measures to boost the number of ICT graduates, provide funds to credit-starved SMEs and invest in several Science Foundation Ireland research centres, are designed to stimulate job creation in the economy.

The Government's plan also includes an ambitious objective of creating 20,000 manufacturing jobs over the next three years.

"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," Taoiseach Enda Kenny said.

Flanked by Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, he said: "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."

Mr Kenny said the measures were beginning to have 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."

The plan also contains proposals to maintain or reduce costs related to energy, waste, regulation and tax which have been highlighted by SMEs as a considerable competitive barrier to trade.

Other measures include additional financial supports for R&D investment specifically targeted at engineering firms and a new "National Step Change Initiative" to support manufacturing companies expand their client base through staff training and peer learning.

Mr Gilmore said:"Trade promotion and assisting indigenous business to trade is another area of activity vital to our recovery.

Mr Bruton said: "We are starting to see real progress with our plan to rebuild the economy after 250,000 jobs were lost during the last three years of the previous Government due to the collapse of their economic model based on property, banking and debt."