Good afternoon everyone.
I’m delighted to be here to mark another step on Ireland’s road to recovery.
Today’s announcement of 300 new jobs by the expansion of Sage in Ireland is a significant one.
Since entering office in 2011, this Government has placed a priority on getting Ireland back to work.
Since we launched our Action Plan for Jobs to support vital sectors such as software we have seen over 125,000 new jobs created. Today over 1,300 new jobs are created every week.
The jobs created here by Sage after deciding to locate your new European Customer Business Centre in Ireland will be a huge boost to our national mission of securing and embedding the recovery.
This Government has worked hard to restore Ireland’s international reputation as a place of enterprise and investment.
Today, Ireland’s Software sector is thriving, with 9 of the top 10 international companies located here.
Our reputation as a centre of software excellence is unrivalled in Europe, and we are home to over 900 software companies, including both multinational and indigenous firms, employing 24,000 people and generating some €16 billion worth of exports annually.
This fantastic announcement also falls on an important week for Ireland’s recovery.
As you know, this Government delivered its fifth Budget yesterday.
The last few budgets have been hard, but they made it possible for Ireland to exit the bailout, reduce our debts, and move into a real recovery.
The top priority of this year’s budget is to keep that recovery going, while providing relief and better services for the Irish people.
It includes steps like a cut in the USC, more nurses and doctors for the health service, more affordable and quality childcare, and ending the unfair treatment of the self-employed. These are sensible, affordable steps that will keep the recovery going and bring its benefits to more households.
This Budget is another step in our plan to keep the recovery going.
It is an essential element of our plan to restore all the jobs lost in the recession by 2018 and to get unemployment down to 6% by 2020.
It continues the process of reducing the tax burden on work and jobs which is needed for future job creation and to attract home our people and new talent.
I fully intend to continue this progress into the next Government where the USC will be abolished in a phased and controlled manner by 2020.
The aim of getting rid of the USC will be to support job creation and to make work pay and we will implement it in a way that is affordable and sensible as we work to secure the recovery.
For now this Government is still working hard to win new jobs and to support our Irish companies to grow and export.
We are currently preparing our Action Plan for Jobs for 2016, to continue to drive the necessary changes needed to help the private sector thrive in Ireland.
We are also continuing the rollout of the Action Plans for Jobs at regional level that seeks to take advantage of local strengths and leadership to help local areas reach their full potential.
We believe it is also now timely to take a longer-term perspective on rebuilding a sustainable economy. Minister Bruton will shortly launch Enterprise 2025, which sets out a strategic framework for a competitive, export-orientated economy that can support full employment over the next decade.
All of these strategic pieces will knit together to form a cohesive policy framework at the local, national and higher levels to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to encourage and support job creation, inward investment, and the continued recovery that our country needs.
In this context, your announcement today of 300 new jobs is very welcome, and I would like to wish you all every success with your expansion. I look forward to watching your progress in the coming years.
Thank you.
ENDS.