Written Answers. - Job Creation.
Brian O'Shea
Question:
200
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
if her attention has been drawn to the fact that only 7.4% of jobs supported by the IDA were located in the south-east region in 2001 while 10.8% of the national population resides in the region, according to the 2002 census (details supplied); her plans to rectify this anomaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[3704/03]
IDA is actively marketing the region and its strengths to potential overseas investors through its network of overseas offices. The south-east region recorded a 3% increase in IDA supported employment in 2002 compared to a drop of 2.2% nationwide. This is an extremely good result for the region when one takes into account that 2002 was a difficult year for IDA, given the downturn in the technology sector and the after effects of 11 September that year.
While the performance of individual regions and areas will vary from year to year versus the national success in attracting foreign direct investment, total employment in IDA supported companies in the south-east has increased by 10.4% for the period 1999 to 2002. In this period ten new projects have been announced that have a potential for 1877 extra jobs, of which 802 have already come on stream, 43% of jobs. The remainder will be rolled out over the next three years. I am pleased that the south-east has been successful in attracting a number of modern industries to the region. The most notable have been Genzyme with its biotechnology facility in Waterford, Alza-Johnson & Johnson, a pharmaceutical project in Cashel, as well as PFPC in Wexford and Deutsche Bank in Kilkenny. These companies are excellent reference sellers for IDA in attracting further overseas investment to the south-east. In addition to these new investments there has been a number of notable expansions in the region from companies such as Guidant, AOL, Sunlife and Lake Region.
I might mention that IDA strategy in the south-east includes working closely with existing clients in the regions to develop their mandate in Ireland and to win more value-added activities from their parent corporations. An example of this is the research and development activity carried out in 2002 by Bausch & Lomb, on the development of a drug delivery system called Envision TD, which will help cure blinding back of the eye illness and which resulted in the creation of 30 quality research jobs in the company. Other policies pursued by IDA in the south-east include working closely with third level institutions in the region to increase both the quality and quantity of graduates being produced and participating in all the county development boards as well as other fora to agree and implement actions that further enhance the region's attractiveness to investors by providing some distinct competitive advantages. In this regard the recent announcement that Waterford Institute of Technology has been awarded a significant grant by Science Found ation Ireland to establish a national telecommunications software centre on WIT campus is most welcomed by IDA.
Providing the right property solution is a critical ingredient in successfully attracting overseas industry. In this regard IDA has been very active with the development of its new Waterford business and technology park on 70 acres. The first 30,000 sq.ft high quality building is now completed and a further 20,000 sq.ft building is currently at the planning stage. Other IDA activity in the south-east that I might mention includes a new 70 acre business and technology park in Carlow, the upgrading of IDA's 65 acre business and technology park in Wexford plus two recently completed buildings on IDA lands in New Ross and Enniscorthy; the 50 acre business and technology park in Kilkenny will see the construction of a new high quality building and a new 30 acre site in the IDA business park in Dungarvan is due to be developed by the summer 2003.
IDA has selected Waterford as one of its three strategic locations nationally by adding extra resources to the south-east. In the past year IDA moved part of its ICT and engineering division to its regional office in Waterford, which will help to increase the profile of the region with potential investors. Along with the existing regional staff the ICT and engineering division is now located at the business and technology park on the Cork Road, Waterford.
I am confident that the measures I have outlined above, which have been adopted by IDA Ireland and which are essentially day to day operational matters for the agency and not matters in which I have a function, as well as the ongoing commitment of the Government to regional development, will continue to bring positive results to the south-east.
Martin Ferris
Question:
201
Mr. Ferris
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the number of software and e-business companies who were taken to or referred to County Kerry by the IDA in 2002.
[3766/03]
One software company which includes e-business visited Kerry in 2002. However it should be noted that 2002, with the downturn in the technology sector and the knock-on effects of 11 September was a particularly difficult year to attract this type of investment. Existing overseas investment in the software-e-business sector in Kerry include Fleet Street Travel which is located in Tralee, Actna Ireland which is located in Castleisland and Rosenbluth International which is located in Killarney. In terms of foreign direct investment Kerry has been traditionally best served by manufacturing, particularly in the engineering and consumer products sectors.
While responsibility for promoting and marketing individual areas and regions as potential locations for overseas investment is a matter for IDA, ultimately decisions regarding locations for foreign direct investment, including what areas to visit as potential locations, are taken by the individual investors. One of the key initial requirements of such companies in determining where they will visit, and consequently where they will potentially locate, is high quality office accommodation located in a suitable environment, which is most often a business and technology park.
In an effort to further enhance the attractiveness of Kerry as a location for this type of investment IDA has commenced site development works in 2002 on their Business & Technology Park at Tiernaboul, Killarney, County Kerry. The site area totals 4.66 hectares, 12 acres approximately This site development work involves significant landscaping and site clearance work, all of which will result in the upgrading of the overall appeal of the location. The work undertaken will cost in the region of €1 million. In addition the Kerry advance factory group has commenced building work on an advance unit, BES factory, on the estate. This 24,000 sq.ft advance technology building will be completed in mid-2003 and will then be available for IDA to market resulting in an alternative property solution to present investors.
Tralee's Kerry technology park, located on an adjoining campus to the institute of technology, offers potential investors high quality office accommodation in a suitable environment for these sectors.
While it is ultimately the client company who makes the decision where it will visit and locate, I am confident that once all of this work is completed Kerry should be in a position to compete more strongly for inward investment in the ICT, software and international services sectors.
