Ireland needs new enterprise policy

IRELAND must develop a new enterprise policy quickly in order to keep our economic growth on the right track, according to Forfás head Martin Cronin.

Although the agency's annual report indicates a 7,500 fall in the number of jobs created by State agencies in 2003, the third successive year of jobs decline, Mr Cronin said the Irish economy is doing a lot better than our competitors.

"If you look at our employment rate it is half of the European average, which 10 years ago we never thought possible."