UNEMPLOYMENT IS STILL “unacceptably high” in Ireland, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
He made the comment while launching the fourth progress report on the Action Plan for Jobs today, where he was joined by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister Richard Bruton. The launch was the latest opportunity to inform people how the plan, which aims to get 100,000 more people working over the next four years, has progressed since it was first introduced in February 2012.
Framework
At the launch, he said that the action plan puts in place “a comprehensive framework to deliver 270 actions and reforms right across the public sector and in partnership with industry”.
The government has delivered 249 of these 270 actions over the past year.
“This delivery rate of 92 per cent is a demonstration of the clear and strong commitment that this Government has to addressing the fundamental challenge for this country. The delivery rate for Q4 itself was 90 per cent,” said the Taoiseach.
Clearly, we are not satisfied that 21 actions that were due for delivery in 2012 have not been delivered on time. One third of these relate to legislation, and were included in the Plan based on their importance for the enterprise environment and ultimately on job creation and retention. We will continue to work to implement this legislation as a priority.
The Taoiseach said he acknowledges “that we have a long path to travel before we are out of this unemployment crisis”, but is confident we are on the right track to recovery.
He said that exports continue to perform at historically high levels, while the country has a young, well-educated population “known for its flexibility and adaptability”.
The reforms and progress made in the Jobs Initiative of 2011 and the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 are just the beginning. The continuing scale of the challenge is evident and though it is falling gradually, the rate of unemployment at 14.6 per cent, remains unacceptably high.
The Government will launch the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs shortly.
Response
Peadar Tóibín, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said:
The target for the jobs plan was 100,000 net additional jobs for the economy by 2016. Since it has been launched 20,000 jobs have been lost in the economy. Over 87,000 emigrated last year and unemployment rates remain the same of when the government came to power.
He said that he believes “it is clear that policies of the government will not lead to growth nor will it lead to the substantial job creation needed to get our people and businesses back to work”.
ISME has expressed its concern “at the lack of a realistic comprehensive economic plan for the country, which is feeding the uncertainty”.
ISME Chief Executive Mark Fielding said:
Self praising reports from Government do little to assuage the concerns of SME business owners across the country, struggling with rising costs, reducing turnover and a non-performing banking system. The ‘successes’, so well described in the latest spin document have been welcomed, however this is no time for complacency.
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