Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2021
17. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to his meeting with the west regional enterprise plan steering committee of 11 December 2020, the plans of IDA Ireland to acquire the 50 acres of industrial lands in Ballinasloe, County Galway from the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44689/20]
View answer18. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to his meeting with the west regional enterprise plan steering committee of 11 December 2020, the plans of IDA Ireland to construct an advance factory on the under-utilised industrial lands in Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44690/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 18 together.
There are 120 IDA supported companies in the West Region, employing 27,695 people in total. There are 93 IDA supported companies in Galway City and County, employing 21,428 in total. This is an increase in employment of 3% on the previous year. Ballinasloe is marketed as part of the West Region. This provides scale and scope, which gives confidence to the investor that they will be able to establish themselves outside of a main city area and manage to secure talent and services to make their business work.
IDA positions the West Region as home to the leading cluster of Life Sciences industries employing the highest per capita of Medical Technology staff in Europe (Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Hollister and Baxter and also Surmodics, which is located in Ballinasloe). These international brands are an attraction for additional companies to potentially locate to the West Region, including Ballinasloe.
The provision of property solutions is a key element in IDA’s marketing of Galway and the West Region. IDA actively promotes available buildings and land in IDA Business Parks and high-quality buildings in private ownership through our network of overseas offices.
IDA continues to market the available lands (c.22 acres) on the IDA business & technology park in Ballinasloe to potential investors, including the advanced planning permission for an Advanced Technology Unit on these lands (adjacent to Aptar Ballinasloe). IDA and Ballinasloe Area Community Development (BACD) completed a joint venture to secure planning for an Advance Technology Unit
(ATU). The availability of the ATU planning permission is being marketed by IDA as a planning de-risked and flexible potential property solution. I am advised that IDA does not intend to acquire the 50 acres of industrial lands in Ballinasloe, County Galway from the HSE. IDA keeps its property portfolio under constant review.
Regional development is at the centre of IDA’s new strategy, Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021-2024. IDA is committed to the pursuit of more balanced, compact regional development which can deliver complementary efficiency and equity gains, with the overall impact of helping to advance national development. IDA will target half of all investments (400) from 2021- 2024 to regional locations and maintain the same high level of investment as targeted in IDA’s previous strategy for each region of the country.
