Dáil Question number of IDA visits to Kildare

DAIL QUESTION

NO. 36
To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits by the Industrial Development Agency to County Kildare in each of the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date.
– Anthony Lawlor.

For ORAL answer on Wednesday, 4th November, 2015

Ref No: 37948/15

R E P L Y

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr Bruton)

There was one IDA Ireland-supported site visit per year from 2012 to 2014 to Co. Kildare. So far in 2015, there have been 3 site visits to the county. It is important to note that data on site visits is not a true measure of the level of FDI activity in a region or county. Approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base. My Department’s 2014 Annual Employment Survey shows that the number of jobs created in county Kildare was 637. Over the past 4 years, approximately 2,000 jobs have been created in the county. IDA Ireland’s focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the county as part of an integrated East Region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. At present there are 24 IDA Ireland supported companies in the County employing approximately 10,412 people.

Kildare has an enviable reputation as a location with a strong track record for attracting and retaining leading world-class manufacturing companies such as Intel, Pfizer, Braun, Hewlett Packard and Proctor and Gamble.
IDA Ireland’s strategy for the region has several aims including progressing the development of a knowledge-based economy to enable the region to compete both nationally and internationally for foreign direct investment; encouraging increased cooperation between foreign direct investment companies and the third level institutions in the region such as University College Maynooth; working with the existing client base in the region to ensure job retention, operational sustainability and potential expansion; influencing the provision of modern property solutions with supporting infrastructure; and working with local authorities and relevant infrastructure providers to influence the delivery of appropriate infrastructure in the region.

Finally, my Department has been working on the preparation of Regional Action Plans for Jobs as part of the drive to increase the level of job creation across the country. Eight Regional Action Plans will be delivered this year, building on the success of the national Action Plan for Jobs process, which has contributed to the creation of over 100,000 new jobs countrywide since 2012. Four of the Regional Plans have been published to date and significant progress has been made in preparing the Action Plan for the Mid-East region, in consultation with key stakeholders there, and I look forward to launching it later this year.