The Government is committed to ensuring the most equitable distribution of job opportunities throughout the country. The industrial development agencies are now strongly focused on achieving this aim and resources are being deployed to reflect this focus.
IDA Ireland has carried out an extensive analysis to determine the needs of the different regions and to identify the industrial sectors most likely to deliver quality jobs. The main aim of the agency's activity is to try to increase the share of new greenfield projects locating in the regions in order to achieve its regional impact.
However, it is not merely a question of jobs dispersal, the agency is seeking to bring a better mix of industry sectors and higher value industries to locations around the country, in particular, to locations that have not seen the emergence of the modern industries. The agency's new strategy also addresses the need to increase the value and sustainability of overseas companies already established or about to establish in Ireland.
A total of 1,255 new jobs in four IDA Ireland supported companies were announced during 1999 for this region. These jobs have already started to come on stream and are adding significantly to the base of employment in the 81 IDA Ireland supported companies which already employ nearly 10,000 companies. IDA Ireland's marketing focus for new greenfield projects for the region is on the key sectors of information and communications technology, ICT, pharmaceuticals and internationally traded services.
A key element of IDA Ireland's strategy is to ensure the provision of high quality office and business parks and buildings in all the larger towns by working closely with the local authorities and private sector investors.