Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
495. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to provide funding for advance factories in 2019 for potential foreign direct investment in the regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54040/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe first phase of the IDA’s €150m Regional Property Programme (RPP) is scheduled to conclude this year. The final advance buildings planned in the initial programme are currently under construction in Dundalk, Galway, Waterford and Limerick and are on track for completion by the end of 2019.
As part of Budget 2019, an additional €10m of funding was allocated to the IDA to increase its property budget to €47m. This budgetary increase will allow the Agency to begin a second phase of the RPP this year, which will see work begin on new buildings in Carlow, Athlone, Dundalk and Monaghan.
More broadly, the RPP remains an important tool through which we can help encourage further investment from overseas firms into regional Ireland. As the IDA's record 2018 results demonstrated, significant progress has already been made in terms of generating new FDI-driven employment opportunities outside of Dublin. 58% of all IDA client-supported employment, in fact, is now located outside the capital. I am confident that the next phase of the RPP will help us increase, in due course, that percentage even further.
