IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in all counties to its client base. It is important to remember, however, that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as almost 70% of all new foreign direct investment comes from existing IDA Ireland client companies.
Site visits are collated by the IDA on a county-by-county basis only and are released every quarter. Information on the number of site visits per month to specific locations is therefore unavailable.
The following table sets out the number of IDA Ireland site visits to each county in 2016, 2017 and the first two quarters of 2018. Figures for the third quarter of this year will be compiled at the end of October.
County
|
2016
|
2017
|
Q1 2018
|
Q2 2018
|
Dublin
|
284
|
327
|
69
|
72
|
Kildare
|
8
|
10
|
4
|
0
|
Meath
|
8
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
Wicklow
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Laois
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
Longford
|
6
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
Offaly
|
4
|
5
|
0
|
1
|
Westmeath
|
36
|
42
|
3
|
9
|
Clare
|
18
|
22
|
4
|
3
|
Limerick
|
49
|
42
|
8
|
7
|
Tipperary
|
8
|
8
|
1
|
1
|
Cavan
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Louth
|
24
|
22
|
6
|
6
|
Monaghan
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Donegal
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
Leitrim
|
8
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
Sligo
|
20
|
18
|
5
|
3
|
Carlow
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
2
|
Kilkenny
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
2
|
Waterford
|
17
|
11
|
5
|
9
|
Wexford
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
Cork
|
49
|
51
|
10
|
14
|
Kerry
|
3
|
9
|
0
|
5
|
Galway
|
42
|
62
|
10
|
20
|
Mayo
|
5
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
Roscommon
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
Total
|
638
|
682
|
135
|
172
|