Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 28 March 2017

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 32 - Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Revised)

4:30 pm

Photo of Tom NevilleTom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's answer. I read in the report that there has been growth of 10% or 11% in the mid-west. That has to be acknowledged. We have heard about the hiring of nine extra staff. We are now in a position of relative strength when we are making decisions, whereas some years ago we were in a position of relative weakness when we were trying to make decisions and push them through. We have seen the fruits of our success in that regard. I suggest that rather than being reactive, as we were when we had to make these decisions from a position of weakness, we should use our current position of relative strength to make a proactive decision to look at new markets over the next three to five years. The need for such an approach, particularly in respect of the massive Asian market, has been discussed at this forum. If such an approach is taken, IDA Ireland will need more than nine new staff. I know from questioning representatives of IDA Ireland here that they have boots on the ground in a few offices in pockets of Asia. As we pursue our vision for the next three to five years, we need to use the fruits of the success that has come from the Department.

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