I established a South East Forum following the publication of the South East Action Plan in December 2011. The Forum consists of key stakeholders from the region who are responsible for implementing the actions set out in that Plan. These stakeholders are representatives from the following agencies/bodies: IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Forfas, FAS/Solas, South East Regional Authority, Waterford City Council, Wexford County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Carlow County Council, the County/City Enterprise Boards in Waterford, Wexford and North & South Tipperary, Teagasc, Failte Ireland, Higher Education Authority, and Waterford and Carlow Institutes of Technology.
Since the setting up of the Action Plan, there have been a number of positive developments in the region. Key amongst these are 280 Enterprise Ireland-supported jobs created by the Eishtec Call Centre in Waterford city, and the awarding of a 5 year €300 million contract to Dawn Meats to process up to 18,000 tonnes of Irish beef annually for McDonald’s. The deal has led Dawn Meats to invest €14.5 million in a new purpose built, state of the art, beef processing facility in Carroll’s Cross, Co Waterford, creating 65 new jobs. Additionally, I have, in conjunction with IDA Ireland, launched a new online marketing tool called “Connect and Invest” in September 2012 which focuses on Waterford and the South East Region. “Connect and Invest Waterford” is a digital based and interactive marketing experience designed for use on tablets, smart phones and PCs. Information on location, education, lifestyle and existing IDA Ireland and indigenous companies is provided through rich imagery, video and text and will be continuously updated. This website will enhance the ability of IDA Ireland Executives to showcase the Waterford’s unique attributes in face-to-face client meetings.
A significant number of site visits were made by multinational companies to Waterford in 2012. The number of visits last year was higher than those to one of the three other counties mentioned in the supporting information supplied and comparable to one of the others. However, you will appreciate that, while IDA makes every effort to encourage companies to visit specific locations, the decision to visit a particular county or region is a matter for the individual company concerned.
