Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
318. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency client or potential client visits that were made by the IDA to Drogheda, County Louth, in the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; if the IDA will engage in developing a regional manufacturing base or advance units in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1259/14]
View answer319. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency client or potential client visits that were made by the IDA to County Louth in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1260/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together.
I am informed by IDA Ireland that in the past 4 years there have been a total of 77 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Louth. Site visits are tracked by the Agency on a county basis only. Details of the number of visits paid in each of the years 2010 to 2013 is set out in the attached tabular statement. There have been a number of substantial announcements for County Louth during 2012 and 2013, with the potential to create in the region of 1,800 jobs.
During 2012 announcements were made by YapStone International Ltd., (120 jobs in Drogheda, Diaceutics (20 new jobs over 3 years in Dundalk) while PayPal announced the creation of 1,000 jobs over four years at its new European Operations Centre in Dundalk.
During 2013 National Pen announced the creation of 200 permanent jobs over a 5 year period at its International HQ in Dundalk. BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), announced that €3.5 million has been invested in its plant in Drogheda on new equipment to manufacture state-of-the-art safety needles designed to help protect health care workers and patients from medical sharps injuries. The investment has created 28 new jobs at the plant. eBay, Inc., announced 450 high quality new jobs at an Operations Centre in Dundalk.
As at the end of 2013, there are 23 IDA client companies in County Louth employing 2,299 people. IDA Ireland is working closely with Dundalk Institute of Technology in the development of programmes to meet the changing needs of FDI investors. It is particularly encouraged by the initiatives of the college in the provision of both courses and facilities to encourage development. These include facilities to promote Digital Media and the Creative Arts, research areas of Ageing and Health; Energy and Environment and its Regional Development Centre in which there are a number of incubator units to promote start-up operations. The Regional Development Centre has been provided with direct funding from IDA Ireland's sister Agency, Enterprise Ireland.
In relation to opportunities for Manufacturing, I commissioned a major report from Forfás on this sector, which was published last year. The Strategy identifies that an additional 20,000 jobs can be created in Manufacturing by 2016 and it proposed key actions across a range of areas, including; access to new funding, management training/support, costs reduction, technology adoption and the implementation of a National Step Change initiative. A range of initiatives are in hand by my Department and relevant Agencies to drive this target, with key Actions having been incorporated into the Action Plan for Jobs. The Strategy did not recommend the establishment of specific facilities in individual regional locations.
Table showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits to County Louth in each of the years 2010 to 2013 inclusive
|
Site Visits |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Louth |
25 |
26 |
12 |
4 |
