Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2004
83 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding jobs created in County Louth in the past two years; the moneys invested by the State in each case; the number of jobs created; and the location of each project. [15281/04]
View answerSupport for job creation is a day to day operational matter for the industrial development agencies.
The Forfás annual employment survey is used to compile job statistics in agency — IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland — assisted companies. Forfás obtains the information from companies on the basis that employment figures will not be published individually. Aggregated data for County Louth shows that total grant support payments to agency assisted companies amounted to €5.280 million in 2002 and €1.289 million in 2003. There were 444 job gains in 2002 and 272 in 2003 in these agency supported companies. However, there were also job losses of 1,221 in 2002 and 784 in 2003 in agency supported companies. All of these job figures relate to full time jobs.
County Louth has benefited from the establishment of a number of companies in Dundalk and Drogheda in recent years. Hilton Foods Limited, with support from Enterprise Ireland, employs more than 150 people in Drogheda. IDA supported companies ABB Industrial Systems and Finmatica Spa also created some 160 jobs in Dundalk over the past two years. In addition to agency assisted firms, the county has benefited from the establishment of other projects such as Irish Life, which employs more than 120 people, and Boylesports Limited, which employs more than 80, both of which are located in Dundalk.
IDA Ireland is actively marketing the county on an ongoing basis as a location for foreign direct investment through its overseas offices in order to secure new investment and jobs for the area. Enterprise Ireland activity is focused on the retention and creation of new jobs in existing companies, the creation of new jobs in high potential start-up companies and through enhancing innovation capability at a regional level by supporting research in companies in County Louth and in the Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Figures for the Louth County Enterprise Board show that 30 full-time and 19 part-time jobs were created in 2002, and, in 2003, 34 full-time and 27 part-time jobs were created. Total grant support was €275,360 in 2002 and €178,898 in 2003.
