Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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472. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency site visits to Waterford and the south east for 2011, 2012 and the first 6 months of 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35342/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by IDA that in the period from the beginning of 2011 to date in 2013 there have been a total of 64 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to the South East region, of which 49 have been to Waterford, city and county. These site visits were from new companies visiting the location for the first time and from senior executives of existing IDA client companies. Details of the number of visits paid to Waterford and the South East region are set out in the attached tabular statement. IDA’s south East Regions consists of the counties of Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary.

At present there are 30 IDA companies in Waterford employing 4,526 people in full time employment and another 504 people in temporary and part-time employment, while in the region as a whole there are 63 IDA client companies11,884 people in permanent employment. In marketing the region for new inward investment IDA concentrates its efforts on Waterford City and on the towns of Wexford and Kilkenny and the county towns of Carlow, Clonmel and Dungarvan. In addition, IDA actively engages with its existing client companies to ensure their long term sustainability and to encourage their growth, development and continuing re-investment.

Meanwhile, work is on-going on the implementation of the South-East Employment Action Plan recommendations, with agencies and stakeholders working together to maximise benefits for the region. The South East Forum, established to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan, and which I met most recently in March this year, will continue to examine ways that would lead to job creation and investment opportunities in Waterford and the South East.

Table showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits to Waterford and the South East in each of the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013