Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
94. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proactive measures that are taking place to ensure IDA Ireland policy is prioritised in regions, and in particular the north-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22500/20]
View answerMy Department and IDA Ireland have a number of proactive measures in place to encourage investment and job creation in the regions, including the North-West. The IDA is authorised by my Department to provide a range of financial supports in the form of employment, capital, research and development, environmental and training grants. In 2019, the Agency paid over €6.8m in grants to client companies based in the North-West region. These grants are an important means of encouraging companies to invest in Ireland, particularly in regional locations such as Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal.
As part of its Regional Property Programme (RPP) the IDA are directly investing in a building programme to help ensure property solutions are in place for overseas companies considering investing or expanding in Ireland, thereby encouraging more foreign direct investment (FDI) in the regions.
The North-West has benefitted from the RPP. In 2017, the IDA successfully constructed an Advanced Technology Building (ATB) in County Sligo and secured Abbott as a tenant. Under the second phase of the RPP, construction has commenced on an Advanced Office Building (AOB) in Sligo with a further ATB planned for the county. Once the first and second phases of the RPP are completed there will be a total of three buildings constructed in the North-West and I am confident that these will stimulate further investment and job creation for the entire region.
The IDA also owns marketable serviced land across Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal and this puts the North-West in a competitive position to compete for mobile FDI. The Agency continues to draw the attention of existing and prospective investors to the region through its network of offices in Ireland and overseas.
More broadly, the level of FDI in the North-West has improved in recent years with over 270 net new jobs added by multinational companies in 2019. We are working hard, across Government, to further unlock the economic potential of our regions. The enterprise agencies remain pivotal to this and they continue to engage with their clients, and with one another, to create jobs and source new investment for the regions.
