Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2004
141 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the initiatives he proposes to put in place to attract industry to Tralee, County Kerry, due, to the increase in the unemployment situation in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28261/04]
View answerSupport for job creation and retention in individual counties is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies. IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. The agency is actively promoting Tralee for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis.
IDA Ireland is focusing on the linked hubs of Tralee and Killarney as part of its strategy for marketing the county as a location for attracting additional foreign direct investment. Central to this strategy is the development of the international services and ICT sectors. The further development of broadband telecoms infrastructure is therefore vital for the development of these towns. The agency is also working with existing clients in the county with a view to helping them expand their activities.
Job creation and job losses are a feature of economic development in all countries as various sectors expand and contract in response to market demand for goods and services, competitive forces, restructuring and technological change. The latest Forfás annual employment survey shows that at the end of 2003 there were 2,205 people in permanent employment in 23 IDA Ireland assisted companies in Kerry. This compares with a figure of 2,444 in 22 companies at the end of 2002. Overall employment in companies in the county that are supported by IDA Ireland is performing relatively well when considered in the context of Ireland now being less competitive as a location for low wage manufacturing projects and the recent global downturn, which has resulted in fewer companies actively seeking to invest overseas and less companies visiting Ireland.
I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland in Kerry, together with the ongoing commitment of Government to regional development will continue to bear fruit in terms of delivering the maximum possible level of additional jobs for the county.
