Jobs plan 'key to economic recovery'

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Government’s action plan on jobs had supported the transition from an “old, failed” economy based on property, banking and debt to a new, sustainable economy.

However, the 14.6 per cent unemployment rate remained "unacceptably high", he said,

He acknowledged that Ireland had "a long path to travel" before it emerged from the unemployment crisis, but described the action plan on jobs as a "central pillar of our strategy for economic recovery".

He said 249 of the 270 planned measures to boost employment due to be implemented in 2012 by all 15 Government departments and 36 agencies under the plan had been delivered.

Mr Kenny said he was not satisfied that 21 measures had not been implemented on time.

He was speaking in Government Buildings this morning with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton.

The fourth and final report of the monitoring committee established by Government to monitor and drive implementation of the measures contained in the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 has been published this morning.

The 2013 Action Plan will be published in the coming weeks.

Mr Kenny said: "Getting Ireland working again is the top priority for the Government." He said the 2012 Action Plan "supported the
transition from the old, failed economy based on property, banking and debt to a new, sustainable economy based on exports, innovation and enterprise".

He said while there was still much to do, Ireland was on the right track to recovery with private sector job creation on the increase.

Mr Gilmore said the State’s success in attracting Foreign Direct Investment had to be built on, along with equipping those who had lost their jobs to return to employment.

Mr Bruton said he could identify signs of progress in the labour market, including net growth of almost 12,000 in private sector employment in the past year.