Address by the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, TD, at the launch of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Contribution to the National Development Plan 2007-2013, on Friday 26th January 2007, at the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork.

It’s a pleasure to accompany my colleague Minister Martin here today in highlighting the Enterprise aspects of the new National Development Plan, Transforming Ireland – A Better Quality of Life for All.

There is no doubt that the scale of investment of €184 billion over seven years that we are setting out marks another milestone of our national economic and social progress.

That this is our fourth National Development Plan since 1989 serves to remind us of how much progress we have made since then, leaving behind the involuntary emigration, joblessness, inflation, and high-taxation of that time – and effectively doubling to well over two million the number of people now engaged in productive employment.

It is no exaggeration to say that we have become one of the more dynamic success stories of the globalisation era, becoming a model for others as well as the envy of our international peers.

For many global companies, Ireland is now a critical international gateway to markets in Europe and beyond; a location of young, highly educated and adaptable employees and an environment that is attuned to the needs of business in the 21st century – not least of course here in Cork with leading companies like Apple, Pfizer, Motorola, Boston Scientific and GlaxoSmithKline choosing Cork as their base.

This unprecedented level of investment in our future is also anchored in a clear emphasis on supporting sustainable improvements to our quality of life. This emphasis builds from the groundbreaking 10-year framework agreement we concluded with the social partners last year in Towards 2016, which reflects a new appreciation of the strong interdependence between our social, economic and environmental goals.

I also want to emphasis, consistent with our emphasis on quality of life, that this National Development Plan places more emphasis on social investment than ever before. Almost half of the overall spend under this plan – over €83 billion – is earmarked for social infrastructure and social inclusion priorities, and ensuring that those most vulnerable in society to pressures of change are appropriately supported and protected.

We are investing €54.7 billion in economic infrastructure, building on the substantial recent progress in this area, particularly in terms of transport infrastructure. This of course includes completion by 2010 of the Cork-Dublin road to full motorway standard, and substantial and necessary improvements to local and regional road, bus and rail transport links generally.

Some €20 billion will be invested in renewing the productivity of our enterprise sector, equipping it to compete more effectively in an increasingly knowledge-intensive and interconnected global economy. While a further €25 billion will bring a new emphasis to unlocking the full potential of our human resources, and building the skills to support adaptability to accelerating economic change. And no doubt we can look with confidence to the local institutions of UCC and Cork IT to continue to play their leading role in this respect.

The emphasis on supporting the productive capacity of the economy will be achieved through enhancing enterprise development, science, technology and innovation, working age training and skills provision.

Investment in training for people in employment will ensure that new skills will be given to those affected by industrial restructuring: this will complement expansion and enlargement of the apprenticeship system for school leavers.

The investment in enterprise development and R&D will also help Ireland to continue to attract high value-added foreign direct investment from abroad and build-on the successes in that sector that we have experienced in recent years.

All of these are vital to Ireland’s continuing economic and social progress, as strong enterprise development underpins the success of the economy as a whole. Progress in the enterprise sphere will also have important beneficial impacts on both regional development and the rural economy, both directly and indirectly.

In this context, the increasing importance of cross-border trade will continue to be developed and improved for the good of the whole island.

I will now hand over to my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, who will address and explain in more detail these Enterprise aspects of the new plan.

Thank you.

Ends

Please click on link below for the NDP website