Ladies and gentlemen.
TESLA
I am delighted to be invited here today to Roscommon by the BMW Regional Assembly to launch the Transnational Ecosystem Laboratory and Actions Project (TESLA).
Last February the Government launched its first ‘Action Plan for Jobs’ which followed on from last year’s Jobs Initiative. We are fully aware of the need to progress real and urgent action to tackle the jobs crisis.
This initiative launched today is a fantastic addition to the available supports to new small companies in this region.
Any initiative focused on helping dynamic small firms to export more and to establish new markets for their products and services is especially welcome as Ireland continues to trade its way back to recovery.
This project will invest €3.8m in partner regions over a three year period, 50% of which will be provided by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg North West Europe Programme.
Similarly, the TESLA project, links in with our ongoing 2013 EU Presidency preparations, during which the focus will be on jobs, growth and recovery. Europe needs to turn its attention back to the urgent task of getting all of our people back to work.
Cohesion Policy & Structural Funds
Europe has excellent experience in promoting job creation in the regions. Our experience in Ireland of Structural and Cohesion Funds has been very positive.
Over the period 2007 – 2013, Ireland has been allocated in total €901 million in Structural Funding. Of that amount, €750m is earmarked for the two Regional programmes (ERDF) and the
national Social Fund programme (ESF). The balance of €151m is for Territorial Cooperation programmes.
Cohesion Policy has played an important role in the development of Ireland’s economy. The financial transfers from the EU Budget are important levers available to Member States to bring about change and encourage new jobs in the Regions.
Stability Treaty
Ireland’s successful participation in programmes such as TESLA is one example of the many benefits of Ireland’s EU and euro zone membership.
It is absolutely in our best interest, especially for regional businesses and communities, that stability is brought to the eurozone and to Irish public finances.
The Stability Treaty which will be put to the people on 31st May is about ensuring long-term stability, recovery, growth and jobs.
It’s about confidence abroad and maintaining and enhancing the influence we’ve been rebuilding. With our European partners, that growing influence continues to pay dividends.
For job-creating investors from whom so many announcements have come in recent months, their decisions have been thanks to our renewed political and economic stability and above all the determination of the Irish people – and their sacrifices - to restore Ireland’s economic health.
Finally, it’s about making sure we have access to the money that allows us to fund public services and all government spending. We’re determined to return to normal market funding next year – and restore Irish economic independence.
We’re on target with our Programme and sentiment is good, yet we can’t control world events and the world economy; markets need to know there’s a backup there in the form of the European Stability Mechanism and we can only access that if we ratify this Treaty on 31 May 2012.
We hope and intend not to need the ESM, but what Ireland doesn’t need is to be excluded from it.
In conclusion, I would to express my continued support for initiatives such as the TESLA project.
It is also right to acknowledge the role of Regional Assemblies who have played a key role in managing their respective Regional Operational programmes under the Structural Funds and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Gerry Finn and his staff for performing this task so well to date.
I would also like to wish them every success in the continued development and management of the TESLA project which will yield new jobs and investments for the regions.