IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.
In the period 2002 to 2006 IDA Ireland hosted a total of 23 site visits by potential investors to the towns of Castlebar, Ballina, Claremorris, Westport and Ballinrobe, as set out in the tabular statement below. One of these visits resulted in the establishment of an industry in County Mayo. There were no site visits to Ballyhaunis, Belmullet or Crossmolina. A central goal for IDA Ireland is the achievement of balanced regional development. In line with the National Spatial Strategy, IDA Ireland seeks to attract FDI into the gateway and hub locations as well as into a small number of additional locations throughout the West, and particularly Mayo, through the linked hubs of Ballina and Castlebar, and Westport.
IDA Ireland has already developed world class Business and Technology Parks in Castlebar and in Westport and is at an advanced stage in the acquisition of 10.29 hectares on the Sligo Road in Ballina for the development of a Business and Technology Park. IDA Ireland's sectoral emphasis is on attracting new knowledge intensive projects in the Medical Technologies, Life Sciences, Information Communications and Technology and International Services sectors. IDA is actively marketing Mayo through its network of overseas offices and it is continuing to work with its existing base of overseas companies in County Mayo to encourage them to grow and expand.
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2002
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2003
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2004
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2005
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2006
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Total number of visits
|
Castlebar
|
|
2
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
9
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Ballina
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
|
|
6
|
Claremorris
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
2
|
Westport
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
Ballinrobe
|
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
2
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Grand Total
|
|
|
|
|
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23
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