I am informed by IDA Ireland that, having regard to its statutory responsibility for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Ireland, it will continue to promote Kerry as part of its marketing efforts, in response to specific client queries and also on an opportunistic basis.
At the end of 2012 there were 12 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kerry with total employment of circa 1,600 people. In accordance with its Horizon 2020 Strategy, IDA Ireland continues to engage with these client companies in order to transform the existing FDI base with a view to developing, retaining and growing employment opportunities. This is given particular emphasis in respect of client companies in Kerry, who are located outside of IDA Ireland’s main Gateway locations.
The provision of flexible and cost effective property and infrastructure solutions is a key aspect in developing regional value propositions and in attracting FDI. In this regard IDA Ireland will continue to market all available land and buildings in County Kerry and work with local authorities and property developers to deliver appropriate solutions in response to potential investors’ needs.
IDA Ireland has indicated that, in seeking to win FDI, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading global corporations require a significant population pool, access to qualified talent, world standard physical and digital infrastructure coupled with the availability of sophisticated professional and business support services. Ireland has only one such Metro Region, the Greater Dublin area, so, in order to achieve balanced regional economic development, the Agency prioritises the marketing of its Gateway locations within each Region. The Gateway locations in the Mid-West and South West Regions include Limerick and Cork. However, IDA Ireland also highlights the opportunities provided by other locations such as the linked hubs in County Kerry of Killarney and Tralee, which are within commuting distances of the Gateways of Limerick and Cork.
In 2012 I attended a briefing meeting on the Action Plan for Jobs 2012 in Tralee, along with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Mr. Jimmy Deenihan and all of the relevant enterprise support agencies. The schedule of Action Plan for Jobs 2013 briefings has not yet been finalised, but it is hoped that another meeting can be facilitated in Tralee as part of that schedule.
I am mindful, also, that, in order to ensure that Ireland can continue to compete globally for FDI, it will be necessary to undertake an in depth analysis of our FDI strategy with a view to informing the formulation of an appropriate strategy for the period post 2014, when IDA Ireland's current strategy is implemented. This analysis, which will be undertaken later this year, will take account of factors such as key trends emerging in FDI best practice internationally, Ireland’s strengths in attracting FDI, any changes to the EU’s State Aid rules that may be introduced in the near future and our agreed approach to regional development.
Meanwhile IDA's commitment to delivering business to County Kerry continues and, while globally the outlook for FDI continues to be challenging, there are still investment opportunities in global markets. IDA Ireland has assured me that it will continue to work towards achieving its target of creating a further 12,000 jobs in 2013 as set out in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013.
