Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2023
125. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an overview of the new White Paper on Enterprise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9193/23]
View answerThe White Paper sets out the Government’s enterprise priorities in the period to 2030. It seeks to ensure Ireland’s enterprise policy is orientated to protect Ireland’s strong economic position, and to respond to challenges and opportunities that have emerged as a result of the pandemic, wider economic and geopolitical developments, digitalisation and an increased urgency to decarbonise industry.
It represents an evolution of our enterprise policy, building on the strong foundations already in place. It sets out what needs to be done differently to realise a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable enterprise growth model for Ireland in the future.
The White Paper also addresses the key components of the competitive enterprise environment including infrastructure, cost of doing business, skills and talent, access to finance, taxation and regulation.
The White Paper vision is for Irish-based enterprise to succeed through competitive advantage founded on sustainability, innovative and productivity, delivering rewarding jobs and livelihoods.
It sets out the Government’s seven priority enterprise policy objectives for the period to 2030. These are:
1. Integrating decarbonisation and net zero commitments where our targets are a 35% emissions reduction from Industry by 2030 and 45% emissions reduction from
Commercial Built Environment by 2030.
2. Placing digital transformation at the heart of enterprise policy where our target is that 90% of SMEs are at basic digital intensity by 2030.
3. Advancing Ireland’s FDI and trade value proposition with targets of a 20% increase in IDA client expenditure in Ireland by 2024, and at least half of all FDI investments between 2021 and 2024 to be located outside of Dublin.
4. Strengthening the Irish-owned exporting sector where we are targeting 2.5% average annual growth in Irish-owned enterprise productivity by 2024, a 50% increase in the number of large Irish exporting companies by 2030, 2,000 additional Irish-owned exporters by 2030, and over two-thirds of Enterprise Ireland assisted new jobs between 2022 and 2024 will be created outside of Dublin.
5. Enabling locally trading sectors to thrive where our target is a 1% average annual increase in multifactor productivity growth in domestic sectors of the economy by 2025.
6. Stepping up enterprise innovation such that Gross Expenditure on R&D will increase to 2.5% of Gross National Income by 2030 and the Number of High-Potential Start-Ups is increased by 20% by 2024.
7. Building on strengths and opportunities where our targets are five national cluster organisations funded under a new National Clustering Programme by 2025 and unemployment not to exceed one percentage point of national unemployment rate in any region.
My Department will lead the development of consecutive two-year Implementation Plans of cross-government activity to implement the White Paper commitments. The first White Paper Implementation Plan, covering the period to the end of 2024, will be prepared in Q1 of this year. Biannual reports will include updates on progress towards the 15 targets identified in the White Paper.
