The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, visited TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus to launch a new enterprise plan for the Dublin region to secure investment and remain competitive in the years to come.
The government has committed to nine enterprise plans, covering every region in the country. Up to €180 million in funding is being provided to invest in new projects which create new jobs and help companies grow in every county.
The Tánaiste said, “after what has been a really challenging couple of years with COVID, Brexit and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are looking at ways we can help businesses get back on their feet and how we can attract investment and create jobs in every region in the country. That’s what these nine Regional Enterprise Plans are about. Today we are publishing the one for the Dublin region.”
“While Dublin is an economic hub, where approximately 50% of jobs are, it has its own unique challenges. This plan has been put together with buy-in from the local community to look at what businesses in the region need and want in the years ahead. Some might say the Dublin Region should not be part of the conversation about regional economic development, but I don’t believe that this is the case. Dublin is a region: a city region of European and international scale. Dublin competes internationally and often, what’s lost to Dublin is lost to Ireland.”
“One of my priorities as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is to have 2.5 million people employed in the country by 2024. We’re investing up to €180 million in these nine regional enterprise plans to help reach that target.”
Each of the nine plans have been developed throughout 2021 by Regional Steering Committees. Each Regional Committee is chaired by a senior figure from the private sector and includes the Enterprise Agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, Local Authorities, Regional Assemblies, higher and further education bodies and others.
The Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 includes the following Strategic Objectives:
1: Strengthen resilience and the potential for scaling amongst Dublin’s SMEs and Start-Ups.
2: Promote context specific, attractive, and adaptive place-making for an evolving world of work and diverse lifestyles, enabling resilience, business recovery and new opportunities for Dublin.
3: Facilitate every individual to realise their full potential through engagement in economic activity.
4: Enable and position businesses as leaders in Dublin’s low carbon transition.
5: Ensure the availability of skills and talent to realise Dublin’s future economic potential.
6: Strengthen Dublin’s Ecosystem.
Susan Spence, Chair of the Dublin Regional Steering Committee said, “I am delighted that the Tánaiste could be here with us today to launch the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan 2024. The plan is a set of highly specific objectives aimed at creating jobs for the Dublin Region. I would like to thank the Steering Committee for their commitment, ideas and input to what is an ambitious and inclusive plan. I look forward to working with the Implementation team to deliver these actions.”
