Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 July 2016
46. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency site visits that have been made to County Tipperary in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22539/16]
View answerThe number of site visits to a particular county is better viewed against the background of the wider progress IDA Ireland is making in generating new jobs across the country. This can be seen in the Agency’s record 2015 results, in which a total of 18,983 jobs were created with employment in IDA Ireland client companies rising to over 187,000. The Agency has also made regional development a cornerstone of its five-year strategy and is targeting a minimum increase in investment of 30%-40% in each region outside Dublin. National statistics show progress is being made towards reaching that goal, with 53% of new jobs created last year based outside of Dublin, compared to 49% in 2014. 12 IDA supported companies employed a total of 3,518 people in County Tipperary and 95 of these jobs were created last year.
It is important to note that data on site visits is not an accurate measure of the level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) activity in a region or county, partly because approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base, rather than new companies.
There were three IDA Ireland-sponsored visits to Tipperary during 2014, with a further 12 taking place in 2015. There have been four such visits to the county in quarter one this year. Statistics for quarter two should be available within a few weeks.
