Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 2002

Vol. 553 No. 2

Written Answers. - Job Losses.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

107 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action and initiatives she proposes to take to address the serious job losses in County Louth; the investment the Government has made in each location within County Louth within the past five years; and the number of jobs created and the number of jobs lost. [13461/02]

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

The provision of jobs is a day-to-day matter for the development agencies and not one for which I, as Minister, would have a direct function.

As regards the agencies under my Department, IDA Ireland the industrial agency which deals with inward investment is continuing to promote County Louth for new inward investment. It has begun site development works at its new business and technology park in Drogheda where it has secured planning permission for a number of new buildings. It has also applied for planning permission for five new advance buildings at Finnabair Business Park in Dundalk.

Another IDA client, Galen Pharmaceuticals, is awaiting the outcome of a third party planning appeal, to begin construction of a new formulation facility in Ardee. The agency is also actively promoting the vacant Tellabs building in Drogheda and the vacant Xerox and AFL buildings in Dundalk.

Enterprise Ireland, the industrial agency which deals with indigenous industry, as part of its regional strategy launched in 2001, is committed to driving growth in enterprise, and thereby jobs in the regions, with particular emphasis on the counties in the BMW region. In 2002 Enterprise Ireland aims to commit in excess of 30% of its financial supports to projects in the BMW region including County Louth: approximately 25% of EI clients are currently located in the BMW region.

Enterprise Ireland's efforts to encourage and assist industry development is focused on export promotion, assisting the development of innovative products, encouraging new business start-ups with significant development potential, identifying deficits in the operating environment and promoting the north east as an excellent location for Irish mobile investment. In its efforts to promote County Louth, Enterprise Ireland engages in the following activities: a new community enterprise scheme, launched in April; this scheme replaces the Enterprise Ireland community enterprise centre scheme 1989-2001 under which centres were established in Dundalk and Ardee; the proposed establishment of a number of technology hubs, termed Webworks; the investment of €95 million in 12 venture capital funds which will have a dedicated regional focus delivered through four of the funds; Enterprise Ireland continues to work closely with the Ardee Community Development Company Limited, in the community's efforts to develop a significant business park in the town, with the potential to house ICT based business.

Under the micro-enterprise measure of the Regional Operational Programme, the Louth County Enterprise Board continues, with EU funding, to support micro-enterprises employing under ten people, with financial intervention and entrepreneurial development of management and e-commerce skills, and enterprise education in second level schools. To date 356 enterprises have been approved by Louth County Enterprise Board with 25% in a rural location and 75% in urban areas.

With a remit to foster trade between north and south, InterTradeIreland is operating across all sections of industry, and with every conceivable shape and size of business; complimenting the activities of its sister development agencies on the island. Key programmes cover graduate placement, equity awareness, business fora and public procurement and a number of businesses in County Louth have participated in some of these.

Data compiled by Forfás for the past five years, 1997 to 2001 inclusive, shows that new full-time jobs created in firms supported by development agencies in County Louth, that is IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, amounted to 4,309. Jobs lost in these firms in County Louth for the same period amount to 4,785. This gives an overall reduction in jobs of 476. In addition, 683 jobs were created by Louth County Enterprise Board in the same period.

The investment in County Louth by the development agencies under my remit, that is IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Louth County Enterprise Board, in the past five years is set out in the following tabular statement. All of the figures relate to amounts paid out in the relevant year.

Year	IDA Ireland	EnterpriseIreland	Louth CEB
	€ million	€ million	€ million
1997	1.461	9.129	0.678
1998	3.48	6.855	0.836
1999	2.16	4.487	0.833
2000	21.865	1.656	0.406
2001	0.034	2.961	0.551
Total	29.000	25.088	3.304

The figure for IDA Ireland for 2001 is a provisional, unaudited figure. Both IDA Ireland and Louth County Enterprise Board only maintain aggregate data for the entire county. In respect of Enterprise Ireland, the investment above was expended primarily in the following locations: Dundalk, Drogheda and Dunleer.