By Business & Finance 
The Government has launched the West Action Plan for Jobs, aimed at delivering 10 to 15% employment growth in the region over the coming years as part of a new €250m regional jobs strategy.
Employment in the west of Ireland has returned to growth, with 5,000 extra people at work over the past year.
The West Plan covers counties Mayo, Roscommon and Galway and key sectors targeted as part of the plan include agri-food, tourism, medtech, ICT and pharma.
The Plan aims to achieve an increase of at least 25% in the number of start-ups in the region and over €3m in grant funding will be provided to support to over 1,000 businesses per year.
The levels of employment growth achieved will depend on factors including the level of support and collaboration within the local community for the Plan, and the level of collaboration between organisations in the region and the main Government bodies involved in the plan.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: “Jobs are now growing in every region of Ireland including here in the west and we are determined to make sure that this recovery is felt behind the door of every home. The plan sets out a clear pathway to unlock the potential of the region and is very inclusive. No single agency can bring jobs to a region – this takes collaboration and that is at the heart of this plan. Local Enterprise.”
Offices, tourism bodies, agri-food bodies and the national enterprise agencies will all work with local stakeholders to provide the best supports possible to help enterprise invest in the west.
