I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 103 together.
The issue of job creation is a day to day operational issue for the enterprise development agencies of my Department and is one in which I have no direct function.
In the period 2000-03, Enterprise Ireland, the agency responsible for indigenous companies, supported the establishment of 35 high potential start-ups in locations throughout the BMW region with 12 new high potential start-ups targeted for 2003. To the end of December 2002, Enterprise Ireland approved over €20 million to clients in the BMW region. Enterprise Ireland will continue to work closely with clients in the BMW region in supporting new high potential start-up companies; developing existing businesses to enable them to grow their exports, increase their innovation and improve their competitiveness; developing incubator space such as Webworks, incubation centres in third level colleges, and community enterprise centres. The agency will also continue to facilitate access to capital through the seed and venture programme, a primary focus of which is on new regional funds and funds for new technologies.
IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. The agency is committed to achieving a target of 50% of all new greenfield jobs in the BMW region over the 2000-03 period. However, achievement of this latter target is heavily dependent on short to medium term developments in the world economy, which can heavily influence overall international flows of mobile investment and infrastructural development in the BMW region.