It is vital that we continue to communicate internationally that Ireland is open and ready for business and investment, and I have been trying to do just that this week here in the US.

Over the past two days, in New York and Boston, I have met with many different potential investors, but the message has remained unchanged. As Bill Clinton said last week in New York, there has never been a better time to invest in Ireland.

In Boston last night, I was honoured to address the John F Kennedy Jnr Forum in the Harvard Kennedy School, where I outlined my hopes for the future recovery of our nation. I later met with various senior business leaders at a function hosted by the American Ireland Fund.

My engagements today included a lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland for economic contacts and client companies before meeting with Hank Kuchermam, CEO of Boston Scientific, a company which already has three Irish bases, in Galway, Cork and Clonmel.

My itinerary in New York included Tourism Ireland and IDA planned appointments, as well as an event part-organised by Senator Eamonn Coghlan in aid of The Children’s Medical and Research Foundation and Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in the New York Athletic Club. I will return to Ireland late tonight.

The Government’s top priority is job creation, and this week we announced our Action Plan for Jobs, which aims to create 100,000 new jobs by 2016, which I believe to be an achievable target. This is a Plan that is ultimately about creating an environment for the creation of business and industry in Ireland.

What we are aiming to do is to assist enterprises in enhancing their export capabilities, to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprises by providing easier access to credit, and to ultimately entice more foreign investors to Ireland. The Plan contains 15 key actions which will make it cheaper and easier to do business here by supporting existing Irish businesses and new start-ups, whilst helping to attract inward investment from overseas.

Through a new network of Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities, Enterprise Ireland will provide expert help to start-up businesses at a local level and a new Potential Exporters Division will enable the identification of a wider group of potential exporting companies.

This move aims to impact on 1,800 people not previously involved in exporting. In addition, the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme and the Micro Finance Fund will help firms to access credit. The Micro Finance Fund, expected to be rolled-out around July, will provide loans of up to €25,000 each. I hope that these measures will quickly begin to have an impact.

As part of Budget 2012, the Government has signaled its intent to radically overhaul the way in which the State supports the unemployed and our ‘Pathways to Work’ policy, due to be launched next week, will fundamentally change the way in which the welfare system and its support services interact with the unemployed. The revised structures will be of most benefit to those who are finding it difficult to re-enter the workforce and who might be also long-term unemployed. Full details will be announced next week.

Chinese Vice-President Mr Xi Jinping arrives in Ireland tomorrow for a three-day visit, the aim of which is to build on the trade relationship between our two countries. On Sunday, we will hold talks and a State dinner at Dublin Castle, which I hope will be beneficial to both China and Ireland. In addition, Mr Jinping will undertake an extensive programme of engagements.

The Young Fine Gael Conference takes place in Tullamore this weekend. This year’s theme is ‘A Bright New Start’ and the event promises to be both informative and enjoyable. I will address the Conference myself tomorrow night and look forward to meeting some of you in the Bridge House Hotel.

Very best wishes
Yours sincerely

Enda Kenny TD
Taoiseach

I returned from New York in the early hours of this morning after a very productive 24 hours there.

There was a very good turnout at yesterday’s ‘Invest in Ireland Forum’ hosted by President Clinton for a very influential group of global business and economic leaders. The forum was also attended by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton and together, we outlined the genuine progress Ireland is continuing to make in dealing with the economic challenges currently facing our country.

We told those assembled about our booming export industry, competitive corporation tax rate and this Government’s continuing commitment to investing in research and development, which is so important for all our futures. We also reminded these potential investors of the many multinational companies, including giants such as Google and Facebook, who have already recognised the merits of doing business in Ireland. I am grateful indeed to President Clinton for his continued interest in Ireland and its people, and look forward to working with him more closely in this regard in the future.

During my time in New York, I was also interviewed by Bloomberg’s Margaret Brennan and addressed a gathering of the New York Irish Business Association, which serves to provide a network of support amongst Irish business people in the city. I also met with various immigration representatives before dropping into an Irish Community reception in the Irish Embassy.

I will return to the US again next week to meet with further potential investors and to attend an event in aid of Crumlin Children’s Hospital hosted by Senator Eamonn Coghlan. Senator Coghlan announced his decision to join the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party this week, and I am very confident that he will represent Fine Gael with distinction in the times ahead.

On Monday, I was in Westmeath where I opened a brand new €36 million Engineering & Informatics Building at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT). I heard there how AIT is now moving to respond to developments in the emerging area of cloud computing by enhancing its degree offerings in this particular area.

I was also glad to hear that the Institute has recently become a member of VMware’s IT Academy Programme. VMWare is a leader in virtualisation software and this will provide AIT’s students with access to both the latest VMware technologies and internationally recognised industry qualifications. The Gaming Industry is another of Ireland’s fastest growing industries, and one which graduates from the AIT honours degree in Software Engineering are now contributing to significantly.

On Tuesday afternoon, I joined Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton, to launch ‘The Blue Star Programme’ a new EU-focused pilot programme for primary schools designed to foster better understanding amongst pupils of the European Union and its role in our lives.

I will attend the Western Care Association Candlelight Ball tomorrow night. This organisation is part State funded but also relies heavily on a large team of volunteers and fundraisers. These people do a wonderful job in assisting people with a wide range of learning and associated disabilities to live their lives to the fullest possible potential by providing a whole array of services, and I will be delighted to be there to support their ongoing efforts.

Very best wishes
Yours sincerely

Enda Kenny TD
Taoiseach

“The Action Plan for Jobs will make it cheaper and easier to do business and to create jobs. It will support existing Irish businesses and new start-ups, while helping to attract inward investment from overseas. The Plan will set the environment to achieve the Taoiseach’s aim of having 100,000 more people working and making Ireland the best small country in the world in which to do business by 2016.

“The Plan changes the way Government interacts with business, by cutting costs and red tape. It contains 15 key actions to make it easier to do business and grow jobs. Under a key element of the plan, County Enterprise Boards will be replaced by a new One Stop Shop micro enterprise support structure. Through a new network of Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities, Enterprise Ireland will provide expert help to start-up businesses at a local level.

“We want to encourage firms in County Cork to sell their products abroad in lucrative export markets. Enterprise Ireland will identify a wider group of potential exporting companies under a new Potential Exporters Division. The corporation tax exemption for start-ups will be extended to 2014, and a new Development Capital Scheme will help fund mid-sized indigenous companies with major growth potential.

“Accessing credit remains a major challenge for many firms in County Cork; this will be directly addressed by the Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme and the Micro Finance Fund, which will help businesses struggling to get loans. To help indigenous firms grow their business here public procurement will be made more accessible to SMEs and it will be easier for small businesses to win contracts with large multinationals. Funding will also be increased for mentoring and development programmes for SME managers.

“A range of initiatives will target sectors that have high potential for growth including manufacturing, life-sciences, cloud computing, digital gaming, agri-food and tourism. This sustainable model will consign the bubble-economics policies of the previous Government to history.

“This Plan is a working document and its targets will be closely monitored and updated on a quarterly basis. Every Government department must play its part. By restructuring the banks, reforming our employment and training services, establishing New ERA and introducing a more sustainable taxation system the Government has already taken the steps necessary to rebuild our broken economy. This Plan will build on this progress with the ultimate aim of getting Ireland back to work.”