Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
459. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the extent to which job creation through FDI continues throughout County Kildare; the number of jobs created in Kildare through FDI in the past three years to date; the percentage of Ireland's GDP provided by Kildare through FDI, EI, LEO employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27804/23]
View answerThe IDAs Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth Strategy for 2021-2024 aims to ensure that FDI can make a significant contribution to the growth of the economy. Its targets include:
• To win 800 total investments, to support job creation of 50,000 and economic activity
• To partner with clients for future growth through 170 RD&I and 130 training investments
• To win 400 investments to advance regional development
• To embrace a green recovery with 60 sustainability investments
• To target a 20% increase in client expenditure in Ireland to maximise the impact of FDI.
The strategy is delivered through a focus on five pillars: Growth, Transformation, Regions, Sustainability, and Impact. These interlinked pillars align with and are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At a national level they reflect the approach and ambition of the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise.
Despite the difficult global economic environment, total employment in IDA client companies in Ireland reached 301,475 in 2022, a 9% increase on 2021. The best FDI employment figures in a single year were also recorded in 2022 – with over 24,000 (24,019) net new jobs created, which represented a 43% increase on 2021. In total, 242 FDI investments were won by IDA in 2022, of which 103 were new name investments. Regional employment now stands at 163,653 an increase of 7% on previous year, 127 projects (52%) of the 242 investments won, went to regional locations. Employment in IDA client companies grew in every region of the country, with the Mid-East region showing growth of 13.1% on the previous year.
The IDA Mid-East Region comprises counties Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow. There are 113 IDA client companies in the Mid-East Region, employing 21,861 people, with 39 companies employing 12,174 people in Co Kildare. The FDI performance in the region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 30%. Counties in the Mid-East also benefit hugely from the direct and indirect employment generated by IDA client companies located in Dublin. Moreover, the Mid-East has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. It has also won significant investment in the Food and the Film sub-sectors.
There were 9,270 people employed in Enterprise Ireland supported companies in County Kildare in 2022.
Employment numbers for IDA and EI client companies for the past three years, as requested by the Deputy, are shown below:
|
Kildare |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
|
EI Client Companies Total Jobs |
9,270 |
9,098 |
9,154 |
|
IDA Client Companies Total Jobs |
12,174 |
9,785 |
9,594 |
While data for the contribution of Ireland's GDP provided by Kildare through FDI, EI, LEO employment is not publicly available, the CSO publishes measures of total output - from all FDI and domestic enterprises - and disposable income at regional and county level. In 2020, the Mid-East Region (which encompasses counties Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow) accounted for 8.1 per cent of total output as measured by Gross Value Added. From the perspective of household disposable income, Kildare accounted for 4.6 per cent of the State’s total in 2020. On a per capita basis, disposable income per head in Kildare was €23,554 - the fourth highest in the State after Cork, Limerick and Dublin. This data is sourced from the CSO at: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cirgdp/countyincomesandregionalgdp2020/
