Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2021
91. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the identification process for a site for the second advance technology building for Tralee, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60438/21]
View answerI welcome the Tánaiste's recent announcement that a second advance facility will be made proceeding in Tralee. The location of Central Pharma, in what was originally an advance facility in Kerry Technology Park, is very good news for Tralee and will bring many jobs to the town. The second facility will also potentially provide hundreds of jobs. It is crucial, therefore, that we drive this project forward as quickly as possible. I ask that the Tánaiste provide an update on the matter.
IDA Ireland is committed to building a new advance technology building in Tralee. I know both Deputy Griffin and Councillor Jim Finucane, among others, have been working on the matter for some time, and the Deputy has raised it with me several times on the floor of the House.
The latest position is that IDA Ireland is continuing to engage with stakeholders to seek a suitable site for the proposed building in Tralee. Securing planning permission and the construction of the building will take time, but it is intended that the facility will be delivered during the life of the current IDA Ireland strategy either during or before 2024, whatever the case may be. The advance technology building may provide a new office for an investor or industrial investment given the flexible nature of IDA Ireland building solutions.
Provision of appropriate property and infrastructure to meet the needs of multinational companies remains essential to winning foreign direct investment, FDI. Advance technology buildings are designed to provide high-quality production and office accommodation for future manufacturing and technological businesses. They usually range from 25,000 to 30,000 square feet and are high-specification buildings, flexible in use, and provide office or industrial space or, in some cases, a combination of both. The buildings are completed to achieve leadership in energy and environmental design, LEED, accreditation where possible. Under the regional development pillar of its strategy, IDA Ireland aims to win investment to propel recovery and support development in every region of Ireland, targeting 400 investments outside Dublin by end of 2024.
IDA Ireland is actively encouraging investors to locate outside the Dublin area, be that through marketing potential investment sites outside the main cities or working to develop recognised industry clusters. The agency continues to engage with new companies on promoting Ireland as a location for their business and utilises virtual site visits as opposed to physically visiting the county. IDA Ireland will continue to position County Kerry to prospective companies in 2022 and beyond.
I thank the Tánaiste for that update. This is a very positive development and I welcome it. I wish to emphasise that we have no shortage of space in Kerry for these types of facilities. Kerry Technology Park is full of sites that would be very suitable for a second facility.
Central Pharma will begin operations in the first quarter of next year. The likelihood is that this company would not have come to Tralee if it were not for the advance facility. I was delighted that the Minister of State, Deputy English, visited the technology park with me recently to see the available sites and how close it is to Munster Technological University, which could also be a beneficial location for potential investors. I would be grateful if the process could be speeded up as much as possible in order to get the planning permission application submitted.
On balanced development within the county, the Tánaiste knows that Killarney, to which he is a frequent visitor, is thriving in the context of tourism and hospitality. We need an industrial balance as well, however. Killarney would also be a suitable location for another facility for Kerry.
What we seek to achieve in Kerry is a diverse and balanced economy. That means investment in tourism - the county is hugely successful in that regard already - food production, energy, public services and FDI. The county has shown what an attractive place it can be for FDI and for major companies such as Liebherr and Fexco. We anticipate seeing further investment in Tralee during the course of this Government's term of office. That is probably the best approach for the county. Just as Ireland needs a diverse economy that does not put all our eggs in one basket, the same applies at county level. That is the strategy for Kerry.
The Deputy has been in touch with me quite often about the tourism industry and the impact the recent restrictions will have on the hospitality sector. He may be aware that the Government announced this morning that the best solution is to restore the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, to the full amount, a return to the November rates, for the duration of December and January. I know that will be welcomed because the Deputy has advocated for that. We had hoped to do something more targeted with the Covid restrictions support scheme but when we tried this it proved too complicated, so we decided to do it across the board.
That is welcome news for the entire economy of Kerry. That money circulates in the economy. Money goes around. When one person suffers, everyone suffers; when one person does well, everyone does well. I remember during my time as a publican, when agriculture was going well and farmers had money in their pockets, money circulated around the village and everyone did well. That is why the restoration of the EWSS is really important. It will be meaningful for many people this Christmas and it will lift all boats in the economy. I welcome that.
I also welcome the Tánaiste's positive approach in the context of the broader economy in Kerry. As I said, advance facility solutions work. They are a good model and they work for peripheral counties, such as mine, that are at a disadvantage in attracting FDI. I have no doubt that the second facility in Tralee, when it goes ahead, will be filled. If the Tánaiste were to consider providing one for the southern part of the county, that would also be important. It would be filled and create jobs.
We will certainly give consideration to that, but, obviously, Tralee is top of the list at present. The restoration of the EWSS to the full November amount will benefit all companies that are down 30% or more in turnover. It will benefit and help the hospitality, arts, entertainment and night-life sectors to get through this difficult period. It will be in place until at least the end of January, whether or not restrictions are eased. It will benefit some companies that do not need it as much, such as in retail, construction and services, for example, but as the Deputy correctly pointed out, that will mean more money circulating in the economy. That additional stimulus for the economy will raise all boats.
