Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 4

Written Answers. - Investment in Border Counties.

James Leonard

Question:

257 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the progress, if any, made in attracting inward investment into Border counties as a result of the May 1995 Whitehouse Conference on Trade and Investment; the progress, if any, to date of the Business Matchmaker Mission of the 16 US companies that visited this country in October 1995; the counties in which it was planned that industry would be sited; and the estimated number of jobs that will be created. [11620/96]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. R. Bruton)

While the major potential for new industrial development to emerge from the Washington Conference is in the area of linkage, partnership and joint venture type agreements, IDA Ireland has been following up on all potential leads and opportunities for new inward US investment projects.

After the Washington Conference, Forbairt was involved with my Department, the Department of Tourism and Trade, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, An Bord Tráchtála, An Bord Bía and Bord Fáilte in assisting the US Embassy to arrange a programme for the Business Matchmaker Mission of 16 US companies which visited Northern Ireland and the Border region in October 1995. The US Embassy arranged 78 appointments for companies in the Border counties and other parts of Ireland. A number of negotiations on new business partnership agreements took place as a result. Such negotiations are still ongoing.

As a result of the peace process a number of pan-Atlantic partnership programmes have been funded through the US Department of Commerce, the International Fund for Ireland and Forbairt with the objective of helping Irish firms, particularly in the Border counties, to grow through technology acquisition and-or strategic alliance with US partners.

The programmes, which include the Forbairt-IFI North American Partnership Programme, the Forbairt-Small Business Administration (US) Partnership Programme and the American Management and Business Intership Programme were all launched during 1995 and I anticipate that they will contribute to the growth of participating companies from the Border counties in the medium to long-term. Under the North American Partnership Programme, the first phase of which was launched in April 1995, it is expected that 900 new high tech jobs will be created from the nine partnerships already formed. Under the AMBIT Programme it is anticipated that ten companies per annum from the Border counties will participate in the programme over the next three years.

I should also add that 26 Irish companies from the software electronics, engineering, healthcare and food sectors went to the US last November meeting with 100 American companies on a trade mission which I led. The visit was organised by Forbairt and co-ordinated by the US Small Business Administration. Each of the Irish companies met with a number of US companies which had been pre-selected, pre-screened and contacted by Forbairt and the SBA over preceding months. During the visit, three companies from Border counties established strategic alliances with US companies involving five separate deals in all.

Details of these were given in the newspapers at the time. I should add that subsequent to this initial visit, both Forbairt and the SBA will support the companies on both sides of the Atlantic to finalise negotiations and implement business deals which will, I have no doubt, prove mutually beneficial. Staff from the Forbairt north-east regional office have been working in the US over the past two months seeking potential partners for Irish companies, including Forbairt client companies from the Border counties, in an initiative to further stimulate trade and alliances between Irish and US firms in a co-operative programme between Forbairt and the Small Business Association of the US. I will shortly lead a delegation of selected Irish firms to the US to meet with their potential US partners.