Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
64. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA promoted visits to south County Kildare in the past six years; the location and date of such visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23893/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIDA Ireland publishes, on a quarterly basis, data on site visits by county only. Site visits are visits by potential investors who may be looking at creating or establishing an investment and who are in the process of evaluating the total value proposition that Ireland and its regions and counties presents for that investment.
Potential clients may visit more than one county and may return to a location more than once. These figures represent individual visits and are therefore not indicative of the number of companies that have visited.
Site visit figures for County Kildare from 2016 to Quarter 1 2022 are shown below:
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Q1 2022 |
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Q1 2022 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
10 |
8 |
14 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
IDA Ireland developed a suite of digital content which can be accessed by potential investors in response to COVID-19. IDA Ireland migrated many of its business development and client engagement activities to digital platforms. These were developed further to put in place an E-Site Visit experience for potential investors. The figures above for 2020- Q1 2022 show the total of in-person and E-visits.
Enterprise Ireland is also actively supporting companies in all parts of Kildare. For example, the Deputy might be aware that Athy Community Enterprise Co Ltd has been awarded over €300,000 in funding from Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise centres support start-ups, micro-enterprises and small business by providing physical accommodation to companies plus delivery of capability building supports to their tenants, and their local business community, through the provision of structured enterprise training courses. These centres also provide physical space for future work initiatives, such as, remote working. In providing these services, enterprise centres are critical regional infrastructures supporting entrepreneurship, start-up companies and small enterprise to grow and scale.
In March, Minister English launched the Mid-East Regional Enterprise Plan (REP) to 2024. The REP brings together the three counties of Kildare, Wicklow and Meath, to work together with all the business development agencies, LEOs, local authorities, education systems and chambers of commerce. All of these bodies are involved in promoting job creation in County Kildare.
Strategic Objective 1 is to position the Mid-East as the primary location for the development of the agri food hubs and under that strategic objective, action 2 is the development of the Athy Food, Drink and Skills Innovation Hub.
I know this project is long awaited, but the plan states that within 3 years it will create a number of much needed impacts:
- Opportunity to strategically grow businesses to work from or progress from the Hub. There will be an ambition to support them to progress to HPSU status, achieve internationalisation and growth
- Job creation activity for the Athy local economy and the wider region.
- Give a clear recovery pathway to food and hospitality sector through economic stimulus, education and innovation, skills attainment and job paths for learners.
- Youth and long term unemployed will engage in learning opportunities that will allow them to either enter the workforce for the first time or return to the workforce after a lengthy absence, in the food and hospitality sector.
- Act as a centre of excellence in supporting innovative companies across the region.
- Develop Kildare’s first social enterprise zero waste café as an exemplar climate action hospitality hub.
- Through the Discovery Centre, provide community and schools outreach education in healthy eating, career pathways (emphasis on non-formal routes) and sustainable living.
