Action Plan for Jobs

The Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and
Innovation Richard Bruton TD yesterday launched the Action Plan for
Jobs.
It contains 270 direct actions involving all 15 Govt Departments, and
36 State agencies.
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Key Points:
· The Action Plan contains 15 key actions which will make it
cheaper and easier to do business and to create jobs.
· It will support existing Irish businesses and new start-ups,
while helping to attract inward investment from overseas.
· The Plan will create the environment to achieve the
Taoiseach’s aim of having 100,000 more people working and making
Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business by
2016.

· County Enterprise Boards will be replaced by a new One Stop
Shop micro enterprise support structure. Through a new network of
Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities, Enterprise Ireland will
provide expert help to start-up businesses at a local level.
· Irish companies will be encouraged to access export markets.
Enterprise Ireland will identify a wider group of potential exporting
companies under a new Potential Exporters Division. This aims to
impact on 1,800 people who have never been involved in exporting
before.

· The new Development Capital Scheme to be launched by
Enterprise Ireland will be aimed at medium sized companies who are
looking to expand.

· The corporation tax exemption for start-ups will be extended to 2014.

· Access to credit: the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme and the
Micro Finance Fund will help firms to access credit. The Micro Finance
Fund is expected to be rolled-out around July and will provide loans
of up to €25,000 a piece.

· Public procurement will be made more accessible to SMEs and
it will be easier for small businesses to win contracts with large
multinationals.
· Funding will also be increased for mentoring and development
programmes for SMEs.
· A range of initiatives will target sectors that have high
potential for growth including manufacturing, life-sciences, cloud
computing, digital gaming, agri-food and tourism.
· This Plan is a working document and its targets will be
closely monitored and updated on a quarterly basis.

· The aim is to get Ireland back to a top 5 ranking in
international competitiveness. We are currently 26th.

· All of the funds mentioned in the Plan have already been
allocated in the Budget and capital programme. None of it is ‘new’
money.

· €20 million will be provided for 6,500 education and training
places for the long-term unemployed.

· There is a regional dimension to the Plan with 50% of
investments to be made outside Dublin and Cork.

Minister Coveney on Morning Ireland re. the Action Plan for Jobs

The plan will have a different approach to previous initiatives.

It will involve 15 Departments and 36 State agencies.

It is a to do list of 270 pro jobs actions.

The implementation group will be chaired by the Taoiseach to ensure
delivery and ministers will be held to account.

There’s an action point for each day left in the year and the
Government can be judged on the number of action points implemented at
the end of the year.