Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
47. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the IDA advanced building solution to be provided on the purchased IDA land bank in Mell north Drogheda; the expected timelines on the delivery of the ABS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31634/23]
View answerIDA’s Regional Property Programme aims to ensure the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of both the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. A robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can be a key differentiator in winning FDI projects, as evidenced by the record regional results achieved under IDA’s 2015-2019 strategy and its current strategy - Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth, 2021-2024. In this regard, the IDA Regional Property Programme is a significant driver of investment in quality building & land solutions in regional locations.
In 2021, IDA Ireland acquired a new 39-acre landbank at The Mell in Drogheda, Co Louth. This landbank will form part of IDA’s long term strategic plans to position Drogheda and the wider Mid-East region to compete for Foreign Direct Investment. Specifically, IDA Ireland have advised that a multi-disciplinary design team has been appointed for the project and is progressing well. Furthermore, it is IDA Ireland’s intention that the Drogheda ABS building will commence the planning process in Q3 2023. I am sure that the Deputy will appreciate that these implementation dates are contingent on a satisfactory outcome from the planning process.
