Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 December 2013
86. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he willl provide details of the number of Industrial Development Agency visits to a business park (details supplied) in County Kildare particularly bearing in mind that it is a large National Asset Management Agency managed land bank; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53478/13]
View answerThe management of IDA Ireland’s property portfolio, including the purchase of land and the development of business parks is a day to day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function.
I have been informed by IDA Ireland that on average, over the last 5 years, the Agency has delivered 3-5 site visits per year to Millennium Business Park in Osberstown. In 2013, there were 2 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to the park.
The Agency has assured me that it will continue to promote and market the Park in Naas to overseas clients wishing to invest in Co. Kildare.
As Ireland competes for high quality investments, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading global corporations require a significant population pool, access to qualified talent, world standard physical and digital infrastructure coupled with the availability of sophisticated professional and business support services. In order to achieve economic regional development, IDA prioritises the marketing of Gateway locations within each Region as the locations of critical mass (i.e. sufficient scale of population, skills, infrastructure, companies, business services etc.) and highlights the opportunities provided by Hub locations which are within commuting distances of these Gateways. With improvements in infrastructure and investment in one town in a region it has a positive effect on other towns in the region.
The East Region, which includes Kildare, has been particularly successful in recent years in terms of attracting inward investment from FDI companies and employing 67,860 people. At present, there are 26 IDA supported companies in Co. Kildare employing 10,167 people. IDA Ireland has strong relationships with these companies and works closely with them to ensure their long term sustainability and to encourage their growth, development and continuing re-investment in their sites.
We must also remember that it is the investor in all cases who decides where to invest and an investment win for Ireland regardless of the location has to be seen as a plus for the country as a whole.
