Written Answers. - Job Creation.
Cecilia Keaveney
Question:
368
Cecilia Keaveney
asked the
Minister for Enterprise and Employment
the number of jobs created and lost in County Donegal from January 1995 to January 1996; the net job gain for the period; the areas in which job creation was achieved; the agencies involved in the successful ventures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8302/97]
The number of jobs created and lost and the net job gain in County Donegal for the period from January to December 1995 and the agencies involved in the successful ventures, is set out in the table below. As jobs data is not collated by the agencies on a monthly basis it is not possible to provide jobs figures for January 1996.
County Donegal
|
Year/agency
|
Gross gains
|
Gross losses
|
Net change
|
|
1995
|
|
|
|
|
IDA
|
253
|
–118
|
135
|
|
Forbairt
|
575
|
–346
|
229
|
|
Totals
|
828
|
–464
|
364
|
In addition, the county enterprise boards assisted enterprises throughout all areas in the county in the creation of 49 full-time and eight part-time jobs in the county in 1995.
While Forbairt assisted job creation in a number of enterprises throughout the county, there were a number of positive developements in relation to IDA in Donegal during and since 1995.
— IDA Ireland is working closely with the existing base of companies and appointed a Development Manager, Mr. Eamonn Howley, to work with a select number of companies in the North-West Donegal Region with a view to expanding their existing operations.
— On the greenfield investment side, IDA Ireland continues to market Donegal to overseas companies. There are a number of small vacant buildings and industrial sites in various locations including Buncrana, Carndonagh, Moville, Ballyshannon, Letterkenny which are being promoted for overseas investment.
— In 1996, IDA agreed with Donegal County Council to develop a business park in Letterkenny. Work on this initiative has been ongoing and a full planning application will shortly be submitted to Donegal County Council. As soon as full planning permission and services have been put in place, work will commence on this park which will include the construction of a 25,000 sq. ft. advance building. This business park will enhance the area's attractiveness to potential investors and will assist IDA in marketing the area to potential overseas clients.
As announced, recently IDA Ireland is currently implementing a new regional policy for employment growth in locations outside the larger urban centres. It is expected that in line with other locations, the Border region will benefit from this recent announcement — where financial incentives will be biased in favour of regional locations with higher grant levels as appropriate to each individual case.
This policy will involve working in partnership with location authorities to have available quality, serviced sites at priority locations for new industrial investment; stimulating and supporting a major programme of modern advance factory construction by the private sector at key locations.
IDA Ireland has already been responding to the challenge of attracting new inward investment to the Border region through the acquisition of land for development.
