Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to direct some comments to the IDA. I acknowledge the contributions of Martin Shanahan and Barry O'Leary before him. My brother David was head of business development in the IDA for a couple of years. The agency's results over recent years have been terrific. I acknowledge also the Waterford development. It has been slow coming but, thankfully, we are now starting to see good developments in that regard and a new advance factory under construction there.

I wish to ask Ms Buckley a couple of questions about IDA strategy. One of them relates to the land banks the IDA may hold and the parks it holds. In Waterford, for instance, the IDA is probably selling off some of its assets. I am not quite sure what will end up happening in the older park. The IDA may have sold off some of its factories or complexes in the old Cork Road section. I would like to see some of those retained rather than going into private ownership because I think they will have a part to play in future enterprise development.

My second point is about construction costs. Does Ms Buckley feel that where construction cost inflation is going will be negative in attracting new clients?

Does she have any concerns about FDI tax contributions, which, as she will know, are now an extremely high component of our Exchequer income? I am asking about the landscape of that.

Finally, there is the integration of third level research as an attractive component. How is the IDA marketing that to foreign direct investors and multinational corporations? In Waterford, as Ms Buckley will probably know, we have three of the foremost scientific gateways in the country and they are all pivoting towards industry and industrial research areas. How is the IDA using that platform to try to attract foreign business?