Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2015
9. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a list of the sites owned by IDA Ireland in County Tipperary that have potential for use for inward investment in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5839/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn view of the very significant level of unemployment in County Tipperary, which is much higher than the national average, and the fact that the county is not getting its fair share of foreign direct investment, I ask the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, to provide a list of sites available for of inward investment in the county.
I am informed by IDA Ireland that it owns two land banks in County Tipperary with potential for use for inward investment in the future. One of these is located in Ballingarrane, Clonmel, and consists of approximately 20 hectares, or 49 acres, while in Tipperary town there is a site of approximately 3 hectares, or 7.42 acres, available.
I am informed by IDA Ireland that pending the securing of a suitable investment for these locations, the lands are rented by the agency on a short-term basis. I understand from IDA Ireland that it is working to ensure each region has office and manufacturing buildings, other buildings and greenfield sites available to potential foreign direct investment and Enterprise Ireland clients or other appropriate job-creating enterprises and will work with local authorities and relevant infrastructure providers to influence the delivery of appropriate infrastructure in each region.
South Tipperary is located in IDA Ireland’s south-east region along with counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow, while North Tipperary is located in IDA Ireland’s mid-west region along with counties Limerick and Clare.
I thank the Minister. No matter what way the Minister looks at this and no matter what he says, the fact of the matter is that the creation of 64 jobs in County Tipperary in 2014, when IDA Ireland created 15,012 nationally, means the county has been abandoned by the Government. It is not getting its fair share of inward investment and that is the reason I have tabled a series of questions on this today.
It is quite clear that the Minister's announcement yesterday worsens the situation and disadvantages the county and its towns to a much greater extent. It excludes those towns from the programme of building manufacturing and office facilities. This is occurring in nine towns throughout the country, but not in a single town in County Tipperary. What does the Minister intend to do to create jobs in the towns of County Tipperary? Will he amend the regional strategy to include those towns?
First, the Deputy needs to understand the Government does not allocate enterprises or jobs to counties, towns or regions. Enterprises make decisions. To improve the attractiveness of certain regions, additional supports can be made available by IDA Ireland. In the south east and mid-west, additional support is provided by IDA Ireland to enterprises that wish to locate there. The supports are actively marketed as an additional incentive beyond some of the stronger areas. In addition, we have made a decision that there will be, in the next three years, advance facilities in each of the six regions. Those have been selected by IDA Ireland based on their ability to attract and be a magnet for the region.
Approximately 30% of the money that IDA Ireland is providing for property solutions will be for the nine facilities. Some 70% of the additional money for property will be available throughout the country on foot of strategic decisions to strengthen business parks, provide strategic sites, etc. Every region has an opportunity. I ask the Deputy to regard the regional strategy as an opportunity for the region to develop new enterprises and make the county and region attractive. We are seeking to bring forward the best ideas to build on the strengths of the region. The Deputy's region has many strengths on which we seek to build. This is not a story of neglect but of an opportunity being offered to the Deputy and his region. We hope the region will take up that opportunity.
This is clearly a story of exclusion. The Minister has certainly make decisions and choices but those he has made have excluded every town in County Tipperary from the regional strategy. As I stated, those towns have significant levels of unemployment. The unemployment rate in Carrick-on-Suir is double the national average. There is no site or advance factory there. In Nenagh and Roscrea, there are sites but no advance factories, and there are no proposals for the latter. The same applies to Thurles and Tipperary town. The Government needs to ensure County Tipperary is not forgotten and, specifically, that the building of advance factories in the county is undertaken immediately.
The Deputy insists on repeating what is simply an untruth. Some 20% of the money being made available is being made available to advance facilities — nine in each of the six regions, including the Deputy's own, the south east, and the south west.
It is not in the Minister's statement.
However, he wants to list every town and village and say it has been excluded.
Not a single Tipperary town is included.
That is not the way in which decisions about investment are made in this country.
I am long enough in this House to recall when decisions were made in the way the Deputy talks about, whereby buildings would be pushed up in wildernesses and stand there as white elephants because of the waste of public money. What is happening now is that IDA Ireland is making strategic decisions. It will support opportunities in every single county and region.
Some 80% of the money is still available for people with strong ideas for developing their enterprises. Enterprise is not about politicians moving pawns around on the board; that is not the way jobs are built.
That is what the Minister is saying, however.
Enterprise is about strong commitment and people being courageous enough to make investments. The Government and IDA Ireland are in place to support them, as is Enterprise Ireland. That is the strategy that will build employment, not that of the Deputy.
On Question No. 10, the Deputy is not present and therefore we will move on to Question No. 11.
