Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
195 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA Ireland supported jobs crated in County Kerry in each of the years from 1997 to 2002 and to date in 2003; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21534/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland, including its regions and areas. I take it the Deputy is seeking information on IDA supported jobs created in each of the years from 1997 to 2003 and to date in 2004.
The attached table outlines the number of IDA Ireland supported jobs created in County Kerry from 1997 to 2003, inclusive. This data is compiled from the annual Forfás employment survey. County data for 2004 will not be available until mid-2005.
IDA Ireland is actively promoting County Kerry to potential investors via its network of overseas offices and project divisions with every effort being made to secure new investments for the area. In addition to targeting potential new projects, IDA Ireland continues to work with the existing base of companies in the region with a view to supporting such companies with potential expansions and diversification of activities. In this respect, two of the existing companies in the county had announcements in April 2004: Dollinger (Ireland) Limited, present in Killarney for over 20 years, is to become the global centre for production for its compressed air products range. Dollinger Ireland will have global responsibility for the development of this particular product. This €1.1 million investment will create over 70 new jobs over the next four years and has resulted in Dollinger relocating to larger premises on the IDA Ireland Business Park in the town; and Liebherr Container Cranes Limited, which has been in Killarney for 46 years, is to recruit six highly skilled R&D personnel for a new R&D specialised team. The team, which will be of strategic importance to the parent company and will enhance the facility's role as the centre of control for Liebherr's container crane products, will develop products from concept through to product launch. In addition, any intellectual property, IP, developed will be the property of the Irish company.
To continue to improve the attractiveness of Kerry as a location for inward investment, IDA Ireland completed site development works in 2003 on its business and technology park at Tiernaboul, Killarney, County Kerry. The site area totals 4.66 hectares, approximately 12 acres. In addition, a local group of business people under the BES scheme have completed a new building of 14,716 square feet on a site acquired from IDA on the park and the agency is actively marketing this facility as an alternative property solution to present to potential investors.
In Tralee, IDA Ireland is actively marketing Shannon Development's 35-acre Kerry Technology Park, which is adjacent to the Institute of Technology, ITT, and offers high quality office accommodation in a suitable environment for ICT, software and international services sectors.
|
County Kerry |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
|
No. of Companies |
23 |
24 |
25 |
23 |
223 |
22 |
23 |
|
Employment |
1,859 |
1,936 |
2,196 |
2,646 |
2,961 |
2,444 |
2,505 |
|
New Jobs |
160 |
177 |
346 |
543 |
374 |
153 |
82 |
