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Industrial Development.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 March 2006

Wednesday, 29 March 2006

Questions (183)

Jack Wall

Question:

201 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits organised by the IDA for foreign investors or industrialists for Newbridge, Rathangan, Kilcullen, Kildare, Monasterevin, Athy, Ballymore Eustace and Castledermot for each of the past three years; the results of such visits; if all of the IDA owned lands in the towns were visited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12454/06]

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Written answers

IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas, for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency. While I may give general policy directives to the agency, I am precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. I have been informed by the agency that, in the past three years, there has been one site visit to Kildare town, but no investment has resulted from this visit. No visits have been recorded to any of the other towns mentioned by the Deputy.

At present there are 25 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kildare employing approximately 10,800 people. The county has, in recent years, attracted some world class manufacturing companies such as Intel, Wyeth Medica, Braun Oral B and Hewlett Packard. These investments have been won in competitive global markets where manufacturing companies in particular are going to low cost destinations such as China and central Europe.

New FDI projects tend to concentrate on high population centres with significant infrastructural and educational facilities. This makes it more difficult for the smaller locations to compete and for the IDA to encourage clients to visit such locations even if a property solution is available. To address this market shift IDA Ireland is refocusing to areas such as international services, software, financial services and pharmaceuticals. In the end, the final decision as to where to locate or even where to visit lies with the investor. I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland, together with the ongoing support of Government, will continue to bear fruit in terms of maximising sustainable investment and jobs for the people of Kildare.

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