Enda Kenny
Ceist:324 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA site visits there have been in Donegal since January 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27301/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 2 November 2004
Ceisteanna (257)
Freagraí scríofa
IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment, FDI, to Ireland and its regions. Support for job creation in individual counties is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency. IDA Ireland is actively promoting County Donegal for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis.
There have been nine site visits to Donegal since January 2004. In addition to actual visits, the county has been promoted to companies who, because of time constraints on visits to Ireland, were unable to visit the county. This took the form of detailed presentations on the county and answering any questions that the prospective companies had on the area.
IDA has been successful in attracting new investment in emerging sectors such as international services, medical technologies, software and high-end engineering. IDA Ireland job figures show 2,080 jobs created by IDA Ireland client companies over the last five years in the north west region.
IDA Ireland is working closely with Donegal County Council, local service providers, colleges and others to ensure that the challenges facing the county are being addressed. The metro area network project, funded by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is now complete in Letterkenny.
IDA Ireland is working with Invest Northern Ireland on a virtual cross-Border park, which will involve joint marketing efforts and planned improved telecommunications infrastructure on a cross-Border basis. The construction of Letterkenny business park by Donegal County Council is now complete, and the extension of the Letterkenny ring road to this business park is well advanced. Work has now been completed on the provision of a second 25,000 sq. ft. advance factory at the park and planning permission has been granted for a third advance facility. Planning permission has also been obtained for a new facility at Ballyshannon and IDA Ireland has undertaken a significant amount of site development work recently on the site.
In addition to this, further land has been purchased in Buncrana and planning permission has been obtained for a 20,000 sq. ft. factory. IDA Ireland is currently working with a local private developer in the provision of advance space within this estate.
I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland, together with the ongoing commitment of Government to regional development, will bear fruit in terms of maximising new investment and jobs for the people of Donegal.