I can assure the Deputy that both Enterprise Ireland and the IDA have been very active in County Kerry. Supporting balanced regional development is a core objective of the Government and of Enterprise Ireland.
In 2019 4,828 people were employed in the 122 Enterprise Ireland supported firms in County Kerry and in the period 2017-2019, Enterprise Ireland paid €12.2 million to manufacturing and internationally traded services clients in Kerry to build scale, innovate and expand their reach.
Under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Enterprise Ireland supported 6 projects in County Kerry to the value of €7.5 million. These projects include the establishment of two Digital Hubs/Incubation Centres, an RDI Hub focused on Financial Services and Engineering, an Agricultural Centre of Excellence, a science and technology talent, skills initiatives, start-up promotion and a food hub. In addition, under the Regional Technology Clustering Scheme, in 2109 Enterprise Ireland approved €600k to 3 projects at the Tralee Institute of Technology.
I also refer to other initiatives to support job creation and enterprise in County Kerry as part of Enterprise Ireland’s Mid-West Plan.
18 IDA client companies employ almost 2,200 people in County Kerry and since 2014, County Kerry has also witnessed an 11% increase in employment in overseas companies with almost 230 net new jobs added during this period.
The IDA is currently working on the formulation of a new strategy that will guide the Agency's work in the period ahead. That new IDA Ireland strategy was due to be launched earlier this year - but was understandably delayed - and it is now hoped to launch the Agency’s new strategy before the end of the year. The strategy will take into account the enormous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenging economic environment for foreign direct investment globally.
