Six industry partners have been appointed by the Government to assist with the implementation and monitoring of the seven “Disruptive Reforms” identified by Government for implementation in 2013 as part of the Action Plan for Jobs. These partners will also join the newly configured National Competitiveness Council.

The partners are: Liam Caseyis the founder and Chief Executive Officer of PCH International; John Herlihy, Vice President, International SMB Sales and Head of Google Ireland; Sean O’Driscoll, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Glen Dimplex Group; Louise Phelan, Vice President of Global Operations Europe Middle East and Africa for PayPal; Heather Reynolds, owner and Director of Eishtec; and Dave Shanahan, Head of Strategic Health Initiatives worldwide in AbbVie.

The six Industry Partners will join the Action Plan for Jobs Implementation and Monitoring Group, a high level officials and advisers grouping, co-chaired by the Secretary Generals of the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Alongside this, they will be appointed to sit on a newly reconfigured National Competitiveness Council.

In addition, as part of the new mandate for the National Competitiveness Council, the NCC will be charged with working directly with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in advising on the content of the “Building Competitive Advantage” section of future Action Plan for Jobs reports.

Action Plan 2013 outlines 333 actions to be implemented before December 31 2013 by 16 Departments and 46 Agencies. Furthermore, it also outlines seven Disruptive Reforms, or high-impact measures with highly ambitious deadlines, implemented in partnership with senior industry figures and selected because of their potential to have an immediate effect on job-creation.

These are seven initiatives which the Government believes can have a significant impact on job creation, present new opportunities to support businesses, and where Ireland has an existing or under‐utilised strength. These Disruptive Reforms represent a new way of creating focus on opportunities which require support across a number of Government Departments. The goals attached to them are ambitious in nature and they have aggressive timescales in which they will be delivered. These include: JobsPlus, ICT skills, energy efficiency, trading online; business licences; big data and health innovation hub.