Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2023
275. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide, in tabular form, the number of visits by the IDA to counties Roscommon and Galway, and the location of each visit in 2022 and to date in 2023. [32780/23]
View answerRegional development remains a key priority in terms of Enterprise Policy for my Department and for IDA Ireland, as well as our other enterprise development agencies. In that regard, the IDA is committed to the pursuit of balanced, compact regional development and is targeting at least half of all investments - that is 400 of 800 - from 2021 to 2024, to go to regional locations. Of the 242 investments won in 2022, more than half went to regional locations, and for 2021, of the 249 investments secured by the IDA, 133 - again more than 50% - went to locations outside Dublin.
2022 saw the highest increase in FDI employment on record. Total employment in IDA client companies in Ireland now stands at 301,475, the highest employment level ever and a 9% increase on 2021.
Employment growth was recorded in every region of the country for the second consecutive year. Employment in IDA clients in the West region increased by 7.3%. The region has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. In that regard, there are currently 126 IDA client companies in the region employing 31,490 people. 10 IDA client companies employ 5,525 people in Roscommon and 99 IDA client companies employ 24,400 people in Galway.
IDA Ireland continues to engage with new and existing companies on promoting Ireland as a location for their business and the Agency will continue to position Roscommon and Galway for virtual and in-person site visits to prospective companies throughout 2023 and beyond.
During Q1 2023 there was 1 site visit to Roscommon and 7 site visits to Galway, all in-person. Site visit data is verified at the end of the quarter and submitted to my Department in the month after. In this regard I expect Q2 data next month.
2022 site visits to Galway and Roscommon are shown in tabular form , as requested by the Deputy, below:
|
E-visits |
In person |
Total 2022 |
|
|
Galway |
9 |
31 |
40 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
3 |
3 |
