Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 July 2016
64. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if, with IDA Ireland, she will change the manner in which IDA Ireland manages Tipperary, as south Tipperary is with the south-east division and north Tipperary is with the mid-west division, which results in Tipperary being neglected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22762/16]
View answerIDA Ireland markets Co. Tipperary is in accordance with the regionalisation arrangements negotiated by Government for EUROSTAT and EU Structural Funds purposes. The geographic remit of the regions is defined by the Local Government Acts of 1991 and 2001. This arrangement places Tipperary South as part of the South East Region and Tipperary North as part of the Mid-West Region.
There has been substantial achievement in securing new investment projects for the Mid-West Region over the past 18 months. One of the most recently announced investments in 2016 was First Data in Nenagh, with the creation of 300 jobs. 12 IDA supported companies employed a total of 3,518 jobs in County Tipperary and 95 of these jobs were created last year.
IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits across Tipperary have been increasing. There were three site visits to the county during 2014, with a further 12 in 2015. There were four site visits in the first quarter of 2016, which is the latest data available. While the IDA does attempt to influence the choice of location, the final decision as to where to visit and ultimately locate is taken in all cases by the client company.
The Government published eight Regional Action Plans for Jobs under the wider Action Plan for Jobs process. The South East and Mid-West Plans apply to Tipperary. The Plans identify a range of actions aimed at supporting each region to achieve its economic potential and raise employment levels.
