Irish Jobs Focus Published

A new report highlighting proposals to create jobs for Irish people has been published.

Jobs and Growth 2010 was launched by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, last week.

She insisted that Ireland is well positioned for growth as new opportunities present in key export markets.

The policy statement, she said, outlines the range of Government measures taken to support job creation and growth.

It was provided as briefing to all Government Ministers travelling across the globe for St Patrick's Day trade, investment and promotion missions.

Jobs and Growth 2010 outlines the core policies and measures that underpin the Government's drive to grow exports and create sustainable jobs, including action in a number of key areas.

These include recovery in competitiveness, investing in people, by retraining people who have lost jobs, developing higher skills in the education system and identifying where the skills needs of the future continues to be a centrepiece of government policy and in investment and jobs.

This proposal looks at growing and attracting companies with global business potential - whether science based, high-tech manufacturing, international services, value-added agribusiness, education, health, tourism and leisure.

Jobs and Growth 2010 also looks at R&D and Innovation and looks at investing heavily in R&D, in universities and colleges and in industry to provide the skills and technologies that will give Irish companies a global advantage.

Also, there are to be new jobs and new sectors with a look 'over the horizon' to the technologies and sectors which will drive global business opportunities and economic growth in Ireland - sectors that are fundamental such as health, education and green technologies, financial services, information technology, food, building and tourism.

Government spending for 2010 also commits over €1 billion to programmes that support and stimulate the green economy, upgrade essential environmental infrastructure such as water and protect our rural environment and also on maintaining share in major markets and growing trade in the new markets of Asia, Russia and the Middle East.

"We are supporting Agencies that deliver our policies on skills, innovation, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

"We are using our 'Green' brand with a renewed purpose and vigour to win jobs and investment and to build networks and links with new markets," said the Minister for Enterprise.

(BMcC/GK)