Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 4

Written Answers - Job Creation.

Ulick Burke

Question:

88 Mr. U. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new State-aided employment places created in each of the years 1998, 1999, 2000 and to date in 2001 in County Galway excluding Galway city; the location of those jobs; and the corresponding number of job losses during this period. [10908/01]

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

The creation of jobs is a day to day matter for the industrial development agencies under the aegis of my Department, and not one in which I as Minister, have a direct function.

In line with commitments contained in the national development plan, the enterprise development agencies concerned, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the county enterprise boards, are working to achieve a more equitable distribution of job opportunities across the regions.

IDA Ireland fully recognises and is committed to ensuring that the process of balanced regional dispersal is achieved in the west region. Jobs created and jobs lost in IDA client companies in County Galway during the years 1998-2000, were as follows:

Job Gains:	Job losses:
1998:673	1998:144
1999:465	1999:347
2000:1,750	2000:368

IDA employment data are only available on a county basis and data are not yet available for the year 2001.

Enterprise Ireland is the agency with responsibility for developing indigenous industry. The agency's west regional office works with local development groups and with other local agencies with a view to encouraging new project generation.

During the years 1998-2000, Enterprise Ireland created the following numbers of jobs in County Galway:

1998 Job Gains

Athenry/Lackagh/Turloughmore/Monivea	50
Tuam/Knockdoe/Claregalway/Dunmore	67
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell/Portumna	32
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	7
Ballinasloe	91
Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	7
Clarenbridge/Gort/Ardrahan	3
Total	257

1999 Job Gains

Athenry/Lackagh/Turloughmore/	40
Tuam/Knockdoe/Claregalway/Dunmore	78
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell/Portumna	14
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	12
Ballinasloe	23
Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	10
Clarenbridge/Gort/Adrahan	75
Moycullen/Oughterard	6
Total	258

2000 Job Gains

Athenry/Lackagh/Turloughmore	74
Tuam/Claregalway/Dunmore	140
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell	12
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	20
Ballinasloe	43
Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	3
Clarenbridge/Gort/Ardrahan	26
Moycullen/Oughterard	1
Total	319

Job losses in Enterprise Ireland client companies during these years were as follows:

1998 Job Losses

Athenry/Lackagh/Turloughmore	3
Tuam/Claregalway/Dunmore	17
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell	9
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	4
Ballinasloe	8
Mountbellew/Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	9
Clarenbridge/Gort/Ardrahan	28
Moycullen/Oughterard	6
Total	84

1999 Job Losses

Athenry/Lackagh/Turloughmore/Monivea	10
Tuam/Claregalway	49
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell/Portumna	6
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	14
Ballinasloe	22
Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	1
Clarenbridge/Gort/Ardrahan	15
Moycullen/Oughterard	8
Total	125

2000 Job Losses

Tuam/Knockdoe/Claregalway	18
Loughrea/Tynagh/Craughwell/Portumna	76
Clifden/Roundstone/Letterfrack	1
Ballinasloe	49
Ballygar/Glenamaddy/Williamstown	21
Clarenbridge/Gort/Ardrahan	21
Moycullen/Oughterard	3
Total	189

Enterprise Ireland employment data are not yet available for 2001.

The 35 city and county enterprise boards have responsibility for promoting and assisting in the development of micro-enterprises. During the years 1998-2000, the Galway County Enterprise Board created the following numbers of jobs in County Galway: 1998, 101; 1999, 67; 2000, 52; 2001 (to date), 25.

Statistics for job creation by location are as follows.

Location	1998	1999	2000	2001
Mountbellew	1	5	6
Ballinasloe	30	13	4	7
Athenry	4	7
Loughrea	8	4	8	1
Oranmore	2	3	7
Glenamaddy		5
Caherlistrane		1
Tuam	15	6	4	1
Portumna	2	2	6	3
Craughwell	3	1	1
Renvyle	1	1	2
Headford	3	2	2
Clarinbridge	1	1
Kinvara		2
Moyard		2
Claregalway		6
Ballyconneely		3		1
Turloughmore	1	1
Roundstone	2	1	3
Ballygar		1		7
Williamstown	1
Gort			1	1
Miltown			4
Oughterard	1		3
Inis Bofin			1
Ardrahan	9			1
Barna	1			1
Monivea				1
Kilcolgan				1
Corrandulla	3
Moylough	1
Roscahill	1
Carrowroe	3
Clifden	4
Cregmore	1
Carna	1
Ballyshrule	2
Total	101	67	52	25

Statistics for job losses in Community Enterprise Board client enterprises are not available.

The Government, through its enterprise support agencies, is committed to ensuring the most equitable distribution of job opportunities and to encouraging the establishment of high quality industry in the regions. IDA Ireland's regional policy is to secure 50% of all greenfield projects for the Border, midlands and western region. The agency also has a policy of focusing on projects with jobs of higher salary and of enhancing the quality of existing jobs. On 5 February this year, I launched Enterprise Ireland's new regional development strategy, which is Enterprise Ireland's approach to achieving balanced regional economic development by developing and sustaining existing businesses, enhancing the business environment, identifying and encouraging new start-up companies with strong growth potential and identifying new opportunities for economic development.

I am confident that the combined efforts of the industrial development agencies will succeed in bringing about increased prosperity in the Border, midlands and western region, of which Galway is an integral part.