Martin Ferris
Question:250 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding unemployment and job creation in north Kerry. [26871/05]
View answerWednesday, 5 October 2005
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Written answers
CSO data for August 2005 shows 6,028 people on the live register for County Kerry, but this figure is not broken down for north Kerry. The issue of job creation is a day-to-day operational issue for the industrial development agencies under the remit of my Department and not one for which I, as Minister, have direct involvement.
IDA Ireland has responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland. The IDA strategy for Kerry has a sectoral focus and is concentrated on achieving developments in the international services, engineering and ICT sectors, focusing particularly on the NSS designated linked hubs of Tralee and Killarney. At the end of 2004, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 2,022 people in permanent employment in 21 IDA supported companies in County Kerry. Shannon Development is responsible for supporting Irish industry and for providing industrial property solutions in north Kerry. At the end of 2004, there were 2,029 employed in Shannon Development assisted companies. New jobs created by Shannon Development companies in 2004 totalled 106 and the main contributing companies to this were Altobridge Ltd., Kerry Group, GCX Ltd., Cameo Products Ltd., and Kerryman Ltd.
Kerry technology park, which is owned and managed by Shannon Development and developed in partnership with the Institute of Technology Tralee, opened for business in July 2001. Kerry technology park is part of the Shannon Development knowledge network, which consists five such parks. Shannon Development's Listowel business centre was officially opened on June 27 2005. The 10,500 square foot building, located on a 2 acre site at Clieveragh, involved an investment of €1.7 million, funded by Shannon Development. The building provides units over two storeys which can accommodate companies ranging in size from start-ups or smaller indigenous companies to a larger mobile indigenous or overseas project. Two indigenous start-ups have located there, Glasnua Ltd. and Payback Software.
For the period 2000 to 2004, the Kerry County Enterprise Board approved €1.25 million in financial assistance to 125 businesses based in north Kerry. This assistance and other financial supports have resulted in the creation and maintenance of 164 jobs in north Kerry over this period. In the first nine months of this year the Kerry County Enterprise Board has approved grant aid in the sum of €385,755 in respect of 47 micro-enterprise projects, over half of this investment is for projects in north Kerry with a potential to create 26 full-time jobs and 26 part-time jobs. My Department, through its agencies, will continue to address the employment needs of north Kerry and in promoting the area for suitable investment projects in the future.