Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 September 2020
46. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of times the IDA has visited County Wexford within the past four years; the number of jobs that resulted from these visitations; and the IDA’s plan and projection for new jobs in County Wexford. [24528/20]
View answerCounty Wexford has witnessed a year on year increase in employment by IDA client companies in the past four years with over 420 net new jobs added since 2016. There are now almost 3,200 people employed across 21 IDA client companies in the County. I am determined, together with IDA Ireland, to increase these numbers further as best we can.
The table below details the number of IDA site visits to County Wexford from 2016 to the first quarter of 2020. I have been informed by the IDA that site visit data for Q2 will be released at the end of this month.
The reduced number of site visits in 2020, as the Deputy will appreciate, is mainly attributable to the introduction of international travel restrictions related to Covid-19. Those restrictions have, amongst other things, led to the cancellation or postponement of scheduled IDA site visits and client meetings in every region of the country, including Wexford and the South-East. As an alternative to site visits, the IDA has migrated many of its business development and client engagement activities to digital platforms. The Agency has developed new digital content and has also put in place an E-Site Visit experience for potential investors.
Notwithstanding the difficulties presented by the pandemic, site visits do remain an important means by which the IDA can showcase regional locations – including Wexford – to prospective investors. At the same time, we must recognise that the final decision as to where to invest rests solely with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential or job creation, as a significant proportion of all new FDI comes from existing IDA clients already present in the country.
Looking to the future, IDA Ireland will continue to draw the attention of multinationals looking to invest or expand in County Wexford. The IDA continues to engage with key stakeholders on the ground in Wexford including local authorities, the education sector, Enterprise Ireland, Wexford's Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and both overseas and indigenous companies with a view to generating new employment opportunities. Regional development, including for the South-East, will also be at the heart of the forthcoming new IDA strategy. I look forward to working closely with the IDA on the formulation of this new strategy that will guide the Agency's work in the time ahead.
|
County |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
Q1 2020 |
|
Wexford |
7 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
