Vol. 460 No. 5
27 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will introduce measures applicable to the Border region to attract inward investment, particularly in view of the very low level of investment that occurred in the Border counties over the past 25 years. [1492/96]
Over 100 IDA-assisted overseas companies, representing a wide variety of business sectors, already have bases in the Border counties. These companies, between them, employ approximately 12,100 people directly servicing European and other markets. Many of these companies have substantially expanded on their original investments over the years.
It is however, fair to say that Donegal, Sligo and Louth have benefited significantly from overseas investment while Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim have not been as successful.
Overseas investors predominantly want to locate in areas with good infrastructure and support services, which enables them to compete successfully in international markets.
The availability of top quality infrastructure at competitive prices is a constraint in many parts of Border counties.
