Vol. 529 No. 4
110 Mr. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has satisfied herself that industrial expansion is targeted in such a way as to ensure reasonable spread and availability of employment opportunities with various skill requirements throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3213/01]
The Government endeavours to ensure that industrial expansion takes place in a way that achieves a reasonable spread and availability of employment opportunities. This process is undertaken in a way which seeks to avail of and develop the resources and potential of each region, including its skills base. The maximum grant aid rates payable by the industrial development agencies in respect of new industrial investment are becoming increasingly differentiated on a regional basis, under the regional aid rates approved by the EU Commission for the period 2000 to 2006. Under this regime, the maximum aid rate for firms in the Border, Midland and West regions is 40% for large firms with an additional 15% for SMEs. The maximum aid rate in Dublin is 17.5% for large firms with an additional 10% for SMEs. The rest of the country is currently in transition from rates which were close to the BMW rates in 2000 to rates which will be around 20% for large firms with an additional 10% for SMEs by 2004. The IDA has intensified its efforts to achieve a better distribution of overseas investment into the regions. Overall, 50% of all jobs negotiated by IDA Ireland during 2000 in new greenfield investment projects have been secured for the Objective One regions, which is ahead of expectations in the three year target set out by IDA at the beginning of the year. The jobs will come on stream over the next few years. This is a strong and very encouraging result in that it came from intensive and radically changed marketing approaches by the IDA working in close partnership with the local authorities and the third level colleges and universities in the regions. The initiatives that are being taken in relation to skill shortages are similarly availing of the potential of the third level colleges and universities across the country.
Work is also ongoing across a number of Departments to formulate a national spatial strategy. This will facilitate the further development of regional strategies that will contribute in a meaningful way to sustained national development and improved quality of life.
