2001 - 2003 Strategy Statement

Link to full Strategy Statement (739kb)

Mission Statement

To promote the sustainable development of a modern competitive enterprise economy based on quality employment, social inclusion and enhanced working and living standards.

Foreword

The economic and social landscape in Ireland has undergone a radical transformation since the publication of our first three-year Strategy Statement under the Public Service Management Act, 1997.

A significant improvement in Ireland's global competitiveness has driven economic expansion, which has translated into strong growth in employment and a substantial reduction in unemployment especially long-term unemployment. There is however, no room for complacency. The focus of this, our second Strategy Statement, is to manage the success that has been achieved to date and respond effectively to the new challenges and opportunities facing us over the coming three years.

Unprecedented skill and labour shortages present a significant challenge to which we will respond over the term of this Statement. We must grow the number of people at work, enhance the quality of employment, and build the skills base of our labour force. This period of economic success provides us with an unparalleled opportunity to eliminate long-term unemployment by providing jobs for all who seek them. It also enables us to reach out in a more targeted fashion to those who still face significant difficulties accessing the labour market.

We must continue to enhance competitiveness in the knowledge that our international competitors will do so. Notwithstanding the major advances achieved by the indigenous sector in recent years, significant weaknesses persist, and we will pay particular attention to addressing these. The Department and its agencies must ensure that enterprises, whether traditional or new, embrace information and communication technologies, e-business and innovation as keys to sustainable competitive advantage. We will also seek to significantly grow and deepen global-quality research in Ireland through Science Foundation Ireland and other initiatives. At the core of our enterprise strategy, however, is the knowledge that only by growing and broadening our international market penetration can our society generate higher levels of wealth.

Over the period of this Strategy Statement the Department and its agencies must make a significant contribution to more balanced regional development in Ireland. In addition to direct actions, such as increasing the level of Foreign Direct Investment in the Border Midlands West (BMW) region, the Department and its agencies will work with other Government departments to clearly identify and tackle infrastructural gaps and other disadvantages, which inhibit regional development.

Consumers face key challenges over the next three years, in particular challenges arising from the changeover to euro notes and coins and the pace of technological change including e-commerce. A key focus of the Department will be to ensure consumers are protected in this new environment through active competition policy, raising consumer awareness, and ensuring that a strong consumer voice is reflected across a range of policy areas. A further challenge for the Department will be to ensure our business regulatory system is to the forefront of international standards, thus commanding the confidence of both consumers and business.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is at the cutting edge of many aspects of Ireland's development. We therefore have a significant contribution to make to continued economic and social progress over the next few years. We have embraced the spirit of change offered by the Strategic Management Initiative and are working, within a well-established spirit of partnership, to build a more dynamic and responsive organisation centred around staff development and quality customer care. It is our intention to build upon our solid foundations to deliver a programme of continuous improvement.

The preparation of this Strategy Statement involved staff at all levels and from every Division of the Department led by the Management Board. Consequently, we all share a sense of ownership of the Mission, Goals and Objectives set out in this Statement. The Department's staff are the key drivers and their continued commitment and hard work will be vital to its successful implementation. The next three years will be critical to our continued social and economic progress. We

will redouble our efforts in order to consolidate achievements to date, using them as a platform from which we can work towards meeting the challenges of the new millennium.

Paul Haran

Secretary General