Job creation - Start-up businesses are vital

WITH Ireland facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, it is especially heartening to welcome initiatives to boost jobs in the teeth of the enormous problems that beset the economy.

Compared with the heady days of announcements of global pharmaceutical and other multinational ventures, the launch of projects to provide jobs in double figures may seem like small beer. But given Ireland’s unemployment rate of 14.4% and with more than 447,100 redundant workers signing on the dole every week, indigenous developments, no matter how small, are what the country badly needs.

An example of this was seen yesterday at the launch of the University of Limerick Innovation Centre, which aims to support high potential companies to deliver jobs in the region. This development underlines the importance of investing in the promotion of indigenous jobs. Hopefully that message will not be lost on Finance Minister Michael Noonan who, for a change, was involved in a round of good news stories in Limerick throughout the day.