Minister O'Keeffe urges USI to support Government efforts to protect and create jobs

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Tuesday] urged the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) to get behind decisive Government efforts to protect and create jobs.

He was responding to a statement by the USI.

‘I secured increased investment on enterprise and job creation initiatives under the six-year capital review plan announced last week.

‘Under the plan, the Government's job creation agencies are targeting over 270,000 jobs over the period.

‘A further 30,000 jobs will be supported annually under the capital infrastructure programme while some 10,000 jobs will created through retro-fitting and energy projects.

‘I am working with the Minister for Social Protection on measures to take some 60,000 people who are on a three-day week off the live register.

‘And I am examining how barriers to graduates or others taking up offers of job placements can be removed.

‘The Government is strongly pressing the banks to lend to viable small businesses.

‘We are grant-aiding high-potential start-up firms with an extra €55 million in funding over the next six years and we are driving the creation of “smart” jobs by investing in venture capital and innovation initiatives,' said Minister O’Keeffe.

He said the Government’s strategy is as much about creating new jobs as it is about supporting unemployed workers so that they can get back into the labour force as the economy turns.

‘Our training programmes and extra places in further and higher education are re-skilling our workforce to take up new jobs in growth areas of the economy.

‘We have increased the number of training supports from 66,000 in 2008 to over 160,000 this year.

‘That includes an extra 9,000 Fás training places, 23,300 places on the community employment scheme, and 2,000 places on the work placement programme which provides up to nine months’ work experience for unemployed workers, including graduates.

‘Under the Employment Subsidy Scheme, we are investing over €130 million to support more than 1,600 firms that have committed to maintain over 80,000 jobs.

‘The Enterprise Stabilisation Fund supported over 7,500 jobs last year.

‘Our policies are helping Ireland to emerge from recession and to avoid another period of protracted recession,’ said Minister O'Keeffe.

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For further information please contact:

Bernard Mallee, Press Adviser to Minister Batt O'Keeffe, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, on Tel: +353 1 631 3944, Mobile: +353 87 9173022, Email: bernard.mallee@deti.ie