Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a list of exporting companies in County Galway that have received Government assistance in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16502/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Industrial Development agencies under the aegis of my Department, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, together with the Galway County and City Enterprise Board provide assistance for companies in County Galway.

As this is a day-to-day operational matter for the agencies and the Enterprise Board concerned, I have asked the agencies to respond directly with the information required to the Deputy.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will consider meeting a deputation from the TD's representing Longford/Westmeath to discuss the Marlinstown IDA businesses parks, Mullingar and all IDA sites in the constituency. [16590/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The recently published Action Plan for Jobs 2012 is the first in a series of annual Action Plans which will be rolled out, with the objective of supporting the creation of 100,000 net new jobs over the period 2012 to 2016, and the longer-term target of having 2 million people at work by 2020.

As part of a campaign to inform the enterprise sector of the measures included in the Action Plan for Jobs, I am undertaking a series of regional consultative meetings around the country. Three of these meetings have already taken place, in Cork, Limerick and in Waterford, but the schedule for the remaining meetings has not yet been finalised. These regional meetings will enable me to take on board local concerns and identify further measures suitable for inclusion in the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs.

The management of IDA's property function is a day to day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function.

The main thrust of IDA's Property policy is the provision of high quality, fully serviced property solutions in regional locations, to international standards. IDA's Business Parks are designed to have a variety of sizes of sites and advance buildings, to suit the varied requirements of new companies locating in them, both manufacturing and services. The strategy of developing lands and property solutions in advance of securing new investments has been a fundamental differentiator in IDA's marketing efforts with overseas clients.

IDA has invested significantly in developing its Business and Technology Park in Mullingar in order to make it attractive to overseas clients.

However, as Ireland competes for investments at the highest end of the value chain, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading corporations require a significant population of highly qualified talent, essential physical and digital infrastructure coupled with the availability of sophisticated professional support services. There is intense and continual international competition to win FDI, which is mainly dominated by Metro City Regions with populations in excess of 1 million i.e. London, Manchester, Boston and Los Angeles. Ireland has only one Metro City Region, the Greater Dublin area, so, in order to achieve regional economic development, IDA Ireland focuses on marketing Gateway locations within each Region and highlights the opportunities provided by Hub locations which are within commuting distances of these Gateways. Of course, IDA Ireland promotes other locations as part of its marketing. However in the final analysis it is the investor who decides where to visit and where to locate.