Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
211 Mr. O’Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on the efforts of her Department to create employment opportunities in Tallaght, in view of the huge youth population in the area and the need for jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22308/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIDA Ireland's strategy for the Dublin area is to attract and expand major foreign direct investment projects, moving up the value chain. Tallaght in south County Dublin continues to be actively marketed by IDA Ireland to potential investors and is well equipped to compete with other areas for potential foreign direct investment, with a third level institute, Tallaght Institute of Technology, and superb infrastructural facilities at Citywest and Grange Castle.
A number of companies in the electronics, internationally traded services and software sectors such as AOL, GE Interlogix, UPS, and SAP have established operations in the Tallaght-Citywest area and will continue to grow in line with projections.
The Japanese pharmaceuticals project, Takeda Chemical Industries, which announced its major new investment in Ireland, has begun construction in Grange Castle, Clondalkin. The plant will employ over 60 people upon completion. Also in Grange Castle, Wyeth Biopharma has approximately 700 highly skilled people already employed at the facility. The Government approved support for this major investment, which will create 1,300 jobs by the year 2005. Companies that have availed of IDA Ireland incentives include Loctite in Tallaght, which has established a state of the art R&D facility, and Sage and Xilinx in Citywest.
Enterprise Ireland works with companies in the south Dublin region to assist them grow their sales and exports and improve innovation in order that they can compete on world markets. The number of people employed in Enterprise Ireland companies in the region, which includes Tallaght, has increased from 9,797 in 1998 to almost 11,000 today.
Enterprise Ireland works closely with the Institute of Technology in Tallaght in encouraging the commercialisation of research and has supported the development of business incubation space at the college to the amount of €2.54 million. In August 2004, the institute signed an agreement with Enterprise Ireland to commence construction of a campus incubator facility. This facility when completed will generate quality start up enterprises emanating from college research.
In addition, as part of the community enterprise centre programme which encourages local enterprise, Enterprise Ireland provided grant assistance to the four community enterprise centres in Tallaght, namely Main Road, Bolbrook, Brookfield and Killinarden.
The South Dublin County Enterprise Board is actively involved in supporting the creation of enterprises employing ten people or less in the Tallaght area. The board provides supports such as financial grants, advice and enterprise training to those establishing or expanding their business. In the current year, an additional €125,270 has been approved to seven Tallaght-based clients with a potential of 25 additional new jobs. Amongst the priority categories identified by the South Dublin Enterprise Board are the unemployed, and promoters from disadvantaged areas in Tallaght and Clondalkin.
