Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has said he plans to hold a special Cabinet meeting on the issue of jobs next year as he pushes forward with what he says is a “real relentless push” on the issue of employment.
The coalition has been boosted this year by a continuing fall in the numbers of people who are unemployed with the jobless rate now at 12.8 per cent according to the most recent CSO figures.
A total of 58,000 jobs have been added in the last year alone and in its medium-term economic strategy published this week, the government set a target to reduce unemployment to below 10 per cent by the next general election in 2016.
There has been criticism of the lack of detail about how this target will be met, but Kenny said he expects his Ministers to come forward with specific plans in the New Year.
“There will be a special Cabinet meeting on jobs by end of January, early February,” he said. “And I want to drive that on so that we focus on helping Irish business to grow and to export more.”
Kenny also said that he expects to see “serious improvement in the construction sector” in 2014 and pointed to the tax breaks announced in October’s Budget as evidence that the sector is beginning to grow again after collapsing in 2007.
He said there is a need for up to 25,000 houses to be built every year with a sizeable number of those needed in the greater Dublin region.
“There needs to be a facility for builders to actually access credit, develop the sites, building the houses and have a stream of income coming through on those,” the Taoiseach added.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Will these ideas they come up with have anything to do with JobBridge because there’s only so many vacancies to learn how to be a petrol pump attendant and they’re filling up fast…..
Aye, imagine planning to hold a cabinet meeting in late January! This should not be news, they should be dealing with this week in week out. Just get on with it!
“Real relentless push” – to emigrate, right, Enda?
Just read somewhere else that property prices in Dublin are expected to rise by 30% next year. Talk about not learning from your mistakes. This country is surely the most exciting place ever to live in. We might be broke, but we’ll never be bored!!
When government are on a relentless PR push, u know something is up.
as opposed to a not so special cabinet meeting…
Really enjoying reading the begrudging comments. Unemployment falling, economy growing, enda and FG most popular and people seeing through the populist nonsense SF manufacture according to latest poll.
At least Enda is showing leadership by talking to the irish people and he has a plan and clear direction. He wanted to make Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business. Forbes magazine awarded Ireland with the best country overall in which to do business.
In spite of the begrudgers history will be kind to this government.
Anyone can let the pendulum swing as far as it will go and then enjoy the ride back to equilibrium. The condition of the country is so bad now that it can only improve. In some ways this is a master class in heartless cynicism, bleed the population to all put the last drop, then prepare to take the credit for their recovery!
25,000 houses credit to builders back to square one
Its christmas,get off the negative treadmill,give yourself and the rest of us a well earned break,in fact just by doing this,you will contribute to job creation.
Enda for jobs :)
The elephant in the room is our unrepayable national debt (currently circa €175,000,000,000) and the massive levels of personal debt in this country. In light of Barroso’s most recent pronouncement, defaulting on our national debt is all but inevitable unless they do a u-turn and cut us a deal on the bank debt portion of our national debt. Any progress we make in all other areas is all but meaningless unless the government have cut some secret deal and Barroso was just spouting hot air.
have your say