Government aims to create 28,000 jobs in North East and West
A Government action plan for jobs aims to create 28,000 extra jobs in counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth by 2020.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton will launch the plans in Sligo and Drogheda today as part of the Government’s €250m regional jobs strategy. The plan is the sixth of eight job plans to be launched over the coming months.
The schemes cover counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth, which have all seen significant emigration and 31,600 job losses between 2008 and 2011.
However, Minister Bruton said that since 2011 20,000 new jobs had come on stream and the latest jobs plan aims to create a further 28,000 jobs across the counties by 2020.
It is targeting sectors which have been traditionally strong in the regions such as agri-food, manufacturing and tourism, and new sectors like clean technology and digital payments.
The Government is also targeting an increase of up to 40% in IDA investments in the area and a 25% increase in the number of new start-ups.
Mr Bruton said: “Jobs are growing right across the country, but they are growing faster in some regions than in others.
“That is why we have put in place the €250m regional jobs strategy, to support regions to play to their strengths and accelerate jobs growth in every area.”
