Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
156. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the investments by IDA Ireland at a property (details suppled) in County Mayo; the planning status of the site; the process to update the status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23984/20]
View answerIDA Ireland owns approximately 11 hectares of industrial zoned land on the Sligo Road in Quignashee, Ballina. Planning permission was previously obtained in 2004 for its infrastructural development, although that subsequently expired in September 2009. The site has, however, been concept master planned by the IDA to help demonstrate its potential to investors. The Agency also continues to actively market it to clients considering investing or expanding in County Mayo.
The IDA is assessing the potential of its land bank in the context of its upcoming new strategy. A revised planning permission application for this site in Mayo remains under consideration as part of that assessment.
To date, IDA Ireland has spent approximately €383,800 on services for this site. These services include site investigation works, a traffic assessment as well as a utilities and services assessment related to the planning application. This investment also includes additional works in the form an environmental audit; geotechnical site investigations; design services for the potential procurement of infrastructure works on site; landscape treatment works and the concept master plan itself.
More generally, County Mayo continues to be a strong performer in terms of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). There are 17 IDA client companies in the County employing nearly 5,000 people. Mayo has experienced year-on-year increases in employment by IDA client companies since 2013 with 108 net new jobs created in 2019.
