Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2021
105. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he is taking to ensure that a site with full planning permission in an IDA Ballinasloe Business and Technology Park, County Galway is marketed globally by the IDA for foreign direct investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60441/21]
View answer124. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a site with full planning permission in the IDA Ballinasloe Business and Technology Park, County Galway that is ready for construction and to be marketed globally by the IDA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60440/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 124 together.
Ballinasloe is marketed by the IDA as part of the West Region. There are 120 IDA supported companies in this region, employing 27,695 people in total, with 93 IDA supported companies in Galway city and county, employing 21,428 people (up 3% on the previous year). This provides scale and scope and gives confidence to potential investors 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. Examples of companies in region include Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Hollister, Baxter and of course Surmodics in Ballinasloe. These international brands are an attraction for additional companies to potentially locate to the West Region and Ballinasloe.
The timely provision of appropriate and cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of multinational companies remains essential to winning Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Over the last 5 years the IDA’s Regional Property Programme has enabled the winning of capital-intensive projects of significant scale to regional locations. IDA actively promotes available buildings and land in IDA Business Parks, as well as high-quality buildings in private ownership through their network of overseas offices. In Galway, the IDA has invested significantly in the provision of world-class property solutions.
Following the decision by Aptar to cease manufacturing operations in Ballinasloe in 2020, IDA Ireland worked to market the vacated facility to potential client companies of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. In May 2021, Enterprise Ireland client company Chanelle Pharma announced plans for 60 jobs in Ballinasloe and a €5m investment.
I am advised that IDA Ireland continues to market the available lands (c.21.94 acres) on the IDA business & technology park in Ballinasloe to potential investors, which includes the advanced planning permission for an Advanced Technology Unit (ATU) on these lands. The IDA and Ballinasloe Area Community Development (BACD) completed a joint venture to secure planning for an Advance Technology Unit (ATU), and the availability of the ATU planning permission is being marketed by IDA as a flexible potential property solution to potential investors.
