The Government has decided against implementing some of the more radical proposals of the Enterprise Strategy Group, which was set up to advise the Government on revamping industrial policy.
These include a common chairman for the three state enterprise agencies; IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Forfás.
A proposal for a single unified regulator for the the energy, telecommunication and broadcasting industries has also been rejected.
A number of other recommendations have been significantly watered down and folded into an ongoing reorganisation of Enterprise Ireland, the agency charged with developing Irish owned business.
The Enterprise Strategy group called for two new bodies within Enterprise Ireland to be called "Export Ireland" and "Technology Ireland" which would focus support in these areas. Yesterday, the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Mr Martin said that there would be "a complete business process and organisational reengineering of Enterprise Ireland's overseas and marketing support division" aimed at the "internationalisation of Irish companies".
Another recommendation with has been diluted was the call for two Cabinet meetings a year to be devoted to enterprise. Instead, Mr Martin will report to Cabinet twice a year on enterprise. A proposal for an expert group to advise the Government on implementing the group's recommendations has been down graded.
The original proposal called for the group to consist of four senior business figures and the Secretaries General of the six Government departments with a role in enterprise policy. The Secretaries General will now attend when it is relevant.
Another of the group's recommendations - a five year programme to place marketing graduates with Irish companies - has been downgraded to a pilot study.
Mr Martin said yesterday that 70 per cent of the 52 recommendations contained in the report had been fully endorsed by the Government. The remaining 70 per cent had been partially endorsed, with the single regulator proposal the only one definitely ruled out.
Mr Martin said the review had provided a basis on which to develop a vision for economic policy going forward. "We cannot survive on existing policies. We need to adjust and refine our policies to remain competitive," he said.
The Enterprise Strategy Group, which was chaired by businessman Mr Eoin O'Driscoll, published its report last July. Its 150 page report took 11 months to prepare and was to provide a basis for reshaping industrial policy according to its sponsor, the then Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Tánaiste Mary Harney.
Mr Martin - who succeed the Tánaiste in the reshuffle last autumn - said the action plan to implement the report that was published yesterday "will pave the way to meet future challenges and to exploit increased opportunities".
