Goal

Lead on creating and sustaining high quality enterprise and employment across all regions of the country by supporting a strong indigenous enterprise base, the continued attraction of foreign direct investment and a strong entrepreneurial culture.

We will, with our enterprise agencies, Enterprise Ireland (EI), IDA Ireland (IDA) and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), and with other stakeholders, lead on the delivery of the Programme for Partnership Government target of 200,000 extra jobs by 2020, including 135,000 outside of Dublin.

We will support indigenous companies of all sizes to start, to grow, and to maintain viability through the use of best in class support systems. We will continue to focus on supporting early stage entrepreneurship and start-ups and ensure that policies across Government are aligned to support the scaling and internationalisation of all companies with the potential to develop and sell high value added products and services into overseas markets.

We will raise awareness of new enterprise opportunities arising from the EU’s international trade and investment agreements, including improved market access, broader supply channels, greater predictability in the trading environment and less red tape. We will ensure that Ireland achieves the greatest possible benefit from trade agreements in new sectors such as environmental goods, services and investment. We will ensure that Ireland’s FDI policy, and our value proposition in relevant sectors, remains competitive so that it delivers an appropriate mix of sustainable and regionally dispersed inward investment projects. A key objective is to deepen the engagement of FDI companies with the Irish economy, for example, through direct expenditure on goods and services. We will continue to promote strong collaboration and links between the indigenous and multinational sectors.

We will respond to the significant challenges, uncertainty and opportunities presented for business by the UK decision to leave the EU and other global developments. We are particularly aware that the evidence shows that the regions (particularly the Border region) are exposed to Brexit as a result of the impact on certain employment sectors. In pursuit of this Goal we will maintain and adapt the annual Action Plan for Jobs, which has been endorsed by the OECD. We will consult widely to ensure that the Plan contains the best ideas for job creation within available resources. We will also work closely with regional leaders on the Regional Action Plans for Jobs. Ambitious Agency targets have been set and we will measure our progress on this Goal annually over the period of this strategy against specific metrics, such as increased investment levels, growth in employment, sales and exports, increased levels of entrepreneurship, increased innovation activity in enterprise, and a regionally dispersed spread of employment.

Outcomes

200,000 new jobs created by 2020, 135,000 outside of Dublin.

Increased capacity and performance of our enterprise sector in terms of job creation, investment,

research and productivity and a wider base for exports.

A strong and growing indigenous cohort of companies driving export growth, economic growth and

jobs, supporting balanced regional development and performing to the best international standards.

Ensure adequate and appropriate supports are in place to help firms adapt to the challenges and opportunities of Brexit

A world class global FDI ranking, increase in number of investments from overseas companies in

Ireland and attraction of new types of FDI to the country, with increased investment in each region.

Increased collaboration and linkages between the indigenous SME base and multinational

companies.

Figure from page 13