Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 5

Written Answers. - Industrial Development.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

17 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has satisfied herself that sufficient efforts are being made to encourage the establishment of industry in rural areas; the success of any efforts to date; and the targets and proposals for the future. [11928/00]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

The Government, through its enterprise support agencies, is committed to ensuring the most equitable distribution of job opportunities and to encourage the establishment of industry in rural Ireland. The development agencies are now strongly focused on achieving this aim and resources are being deployed to reflect this new focus. The agencies' focus on regionalisation ensures that an attractive financial package will be made available to any appropriate project which may choose to locate or expand in the regions.

IDA Ireland is working closely with the providers of infrastructure and the educational/training bodies, etc., to deliver improved facilities for industry in the regions. The agency is seeking to deliver over 50% of all newly approved greenfield jobs to the Objective One – Border, midlands and west – region. This will not diminish efforts to attract high value added projects to the weaker areas of other regions in line with a policy of balanced regional development.

To ensure that a more equitable distribution of jobs is achieved, IDA reorganised its internal structures. This restructuring included allocation of additional staff to its regional offices, opening new regional offices in Cavan and Limerick and the allocation of regional responsibilities to key executives in its project divisions. Other initiatives include putting a greater focus on marketing of the regions for specific sectors and improvement of marketing material for the regions.

In the Objective One regions, IDA has acquired additional land and has arranged, in partnership with private developers, to provide advance factories and advance offices in a number of key centres. The approach being pursued by IDA Ireland is having a positive impact on regional development and since January 2000 good progress has been made in locations such as Dundalk, Letterkenny, Longford, Carrick-on-Shannon, Cork, Sligo and Mullingar. Industries locating in regional towns/cities benefit the surrounding rural areas.

Enterprise Ireland is also committed to developing indigenous industry and to regional dispersal and this is reflected in the deployment of over 100 staff in its regional network. In addition to working with its core client base, the agency, because of its involvement in all aspects of business development – finance, technology, human resources etc – works closely with all development organisations in the region as well as the third level educational institutions, local development bodies and other industry to pro actively facilitate an integrated approach to development in the region.

Complementary measures in the national development plan will also help to underpin the development agencies regional strategy since it will provide the infrastructure necessary for the attraction of overseas investment currently lacking outside the major urban areas. The plan envisages spending a higher amount per head of population in the largely rural Border, midland and west regions.

I am confident that the co-ordinated efforts being made by the development agencies will further advance economic development in rural Ireland.