Under the Industrial Development Acts, IDA Ireland has the power to acquire, hold and dispose of land, and any other property or any interest therein, for the purpose of facilitating an industrial undertaking.
I am informed by IDA Ireland that it is actively considering opportunities as to how to leverage its property portfolio nationally in order that additional investment and employment opportunities can be realised in the regions from non-traditional sources. These projects would fall outside the areas of internationally traded services, manufacturing and R&D which fall under the general remit of IDA Ireland and/or Enterprise Ireland but would have to be compliant, in the case of Cavan for example, with the current zoning associated with the lands i.e. ‘Industrial, Enterprise and Employment’. The Agency informs me that, to date, some interest has been expressed in acquiring the land bank at the Cavan Business and Technology Park since its advertisement on the open market and that such expressions will continue to be considered on a case by case basis.
IDA Ireland has informed me that in 2008, the Agency invested in the costs associated with designing and obtaining planning permission and fire certification for a proposed Advance Technology Unit for the Cavan Business and Technology Park. Planning Permission was subsequently granted by Cavan County Council to IDA Ireland for the facility under Pl Ref No. 07-2446 which is in place until April 2013. IDA Ireland is also responsible for the costs associated with the on-going maintenance and repair of the site infrastructure, where required. The planning permission granted on site (Pl Ref No. 07-2446) for an Advance Technology Unit is part of the portfolio currently advertised for sale on the open market.
