Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow, Andrew Doyle, has said that we cannot underestimate the importance of the Government’s Innovation 2020 strategy which was launched by the Taoiseach and Ministers English and Bruton.
“This five year strategy will be vital to Ireland’s future economic success and our ability to create good quality jobs and attract employers.
“Our jobs strategy is aimed at creating a new economy based on exports and enterprise, and delivering full employment on a sustainable basis. Innovation 2020 will form a cornerstone of this strategy.
“Irelands Best Young Entrepreneur finals provided an insight into the wealth of talent that exists in the county. James Keogh of Wicklow won the prize for best established business at the age of 29. And last year Showoff were regional finalists in the competition”
“A key ambition of the Strategy is to increase total investment in R&D in Ireland, led by the private sector, to 2.5% of GNP. On current official projections, this would mean that over €5 billion will be invested per year in R&D by the private and public sectors by 2020. This will represent almost doubling current levels of investment (€2.9 billion in 2014).
“Fine Gael has a long term plan to keep the recovery going. We are seeing economic progress, with over 135,000 more people at work, but we cannot take for granted that stability and recovery will continue.
“Our plan will deliver;
1. more new jobs, spread right across the country
2. jobs that pay more than welfare, where hard work is rewarded
3. affordable, sustainable improvements in services using the resources from growing employment.”