Written Answers. - National Spatial Strategy.
Ciarán Cuffe
Ceist:
188
Mr. Cuffe
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
the changes that have been made in her Department's plans, programmes, policies and spending arising from the publication of the Government's national spatial strategy.
[25427/03]
The national spatial strategy, NSS, is a framework designed to re-orientate the balance of development across the country. Redirecting the established force of development and investment preferences is not a straightforward issue nor one that can be achieved simply by Government edict. The NSS is a 20 year strategy designed to enable every place in the country to achieve its potential. My Department and the development agencies are actively working with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on the implementation of the NSS. The Dublin region received about 30% of grant support from IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in respect of 2002.
As regards individual agencies under my Department, the following is a summary of their strategic initiatives to promote the objectives of the NSS. The key roles of Forfás relating to the NSS include encouraging the distribution of enterprise investment consistent with the NSS through the policies and investment strategies of the development agencies – IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. Forfás provides policy advice regarding national development investments that contribute to making regional centres more competitive locations in which to invest and build enterprises. This advice includes recommending the prioritisation of infrastructure developments – road, energy, waste and telecommunications networks – and social infrastructure – educational and community facilities etc. – ensuring a continued focus on the development of critical mass at regional gateways and hubs.
The developing strategies and policies of IDA Ireland, which support the implementation of the NSS are outlined in IDA Ireland's Beyond 2000+ strategy approved by the IDA Ireland board in early 2001. This strategy initiated a regional economic development process whereby IDA Ireland strengthened its network of regional offices by establishing sector development responsibilities in key regional locations such as Waterford, Athlone and Sligo. Of 295 staff posts in June 2003, about 100 are based in ten offices with dedicated regional responsibilities.
In the context of the NSS, IDA Ireland believes that there is a need to create strong locational incentives and attractions for mobile investment within the regions. Consequently, IDA Ireland is working to identify and develop magnets of attraction such as clusters of high-technology, knowledge intensive firms, centres for research or of technical specialisation that will help attract international investment to the regions.
In recognition of the inter-dependency between regional development and infrastructure provision, IDA Ireland established a regions and property division, headquartered in the BMW region in Athlone, to integrate the agency's regional development and industrial property programme. The gateways and hubs of the NSS figure prominently in the IDA Ireland locational strategy for foreign direct investment.
IDA Ireland is continuing to work on developing a network of regionally distributed, flagship business parks and strategic sites to provide high quality, fully serviced sites for business enterprises capable of accommodating high value, large-scale projects similar to Intel and Wyeth Medica.
IDA Ireland, in conjunction with Forfás and the development agencies, has prepared a number of regional strategic agendas, RSAs, for each of the NUTS III planning regions. The RSAs set out the medium-term intentions of the agencies with respect to enterprise development in each region and take account of the central approach of the NSS. IDA Ireland is represented on the steering committees overseeing the preparation of the regional planning guidelines for the NSS.
IDA Ireland is reviewing its strategy for the period post 2003. Regional development and the NSS figure prominently in the planning work undertaken to date. Locations in Ireland are now competing for technology intensive foreign direct investment with highly developed city regions internationally. The NSS provides an opportunity to construct similar regions in Ireland and IDA Ireland is exploring this approach.
In May 2003, following a review undertaken in partnership with my Department, Enterprise Ireland launched new funding guidelines for companies. These have been developed to align financial incentives with the national aim of balanced regional development. Location is now a key determinant of the level of aid now available to Enterprise Ireland's clients. All categories of financial support provided by Enterprise Ireland now reflect a preferential bias for companies located outside the Dublin and mid-east regions.
As part of these guidelines, Enterprise Ireland launched the competitiveness fund this year. This is a new €10 million fund established to build SME competitiveness. It is specifically targeted at SMEs that have not undertaken a major development project within the last three years. This new policy initiative is designed to have an impact in regions of comparatively lower growth thereby further contributing to NSS objectives.
Enterprise Ireland is currently revising its regional strategy priorities to build on its present approach contained in Driving Growth in Regional Enterprise 2001-2003. New strategic policies will focus on three main areas – the existing client base, new start-up activity and regional development business infrastructure. Each of these themes will take into account the NSS and its roll-out.
The Shannon region 2020 strategy informed by NSS objectives takes a 15 to 20 year view to developing the critical mass of Limerick-Ennis-Shannon, while networking the major gateways of Limerick, Galway and Cork through the Atlantic alliance initiative. This regional vision aims to stimulate investment in key county towns and use regional natural resources for rural development. Shannon Development's approach to Shannon region 2020 is to concentrate on these four strategic areas.
Science Foundation Ireland does not make decisions based on the location of proposed research activity, rather it aims to capitalise on the best research potential that exists within the third level network. Nevertheless, Science Foundation Ireland's aim is to encourage the broad national use of facilities in receipt of Science Foundation Ireland funds, and to date its investments are spread throughout all regions.
