The Govt has announced 164 actions to deliver 45,000 jobs this year
The Government has published its 2017 Action Plan for Jobs which contains 164 actions aimed at delivering 45,000 jobs this year.
Twenty actions are headlined as a response to Brexit and include increased tourism and trade promotions as well as €3m to fund 48 new staff in Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.
At the launch, the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, said: "This is the sixth annual Action Plan for Jobs. We are in a very different place from when the journey began.
"It is an approach that has worked – last year we implemented 93% of actions contained in the 2016 Plan."
He pointed out that Brexit is "the most obvious game-changer" which, more than any other, "will be a transformative one for the country in the coming years".
He said: "But we are ready for that challenge. For over a year and a half the Irish government has been preparing for Brexit and we have consistently offered a very clear outline of what our priorities are.
"Our first priority is to build a strong economy, attract more investment and target 200,000 new jobs by 2020. It contains measures to support enterprises, particularly those most dependent on UK markets, to identify and target new markets."
He also outlined how the plan has a regional focus "where currency fluctuations and uncertainty about the future are having particular impact".
The Taoiseach also said he was "confident" today’s Action Plan will reach its job creation target of 45,000 for 2017.
