Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I apologise for being late. I was at a funeral earlier. I do not want to ask questions asked already. My question is specifically for the guests from IDA Ireland but those from the Department may respond also if they so wish.

I compliment IDA Ireland on the work it does. It is the best in the world at what it does and is copied by many countries. It is responsible for the successful introduction of so many foreign direct investors to the country.

Following on from what the Cathaoirleach said about balanced growth right across the country, probably 1,200 houses will be built in the next two years in the area of the midlands I come from. We will have population growth of about 3,600. People working in Dublin will be moving down to Tullamore and the surrounding area to live, and we would like to see more jobs created for them locally. Unfortunately and fortunately, our IDA Ireland park is full. One unit there will become available but I expect it will be filled fairly quickly because it is in a good place. We need another IDA Ireland park in the area for us to be attractive to foreign direct investors. There are companies in the area that have a track record, companies doing some fantastic things and also companies that will attract other companies. Among these is STERIS, a leader in the sterilisation of medical devices. It does business not only with businesses in Ireland but also with companies on the east coast of the US. It is a big player in sterilisation and could be an attraction to other medical devices companies. I am very thankful for the jobs that have already been created in Tullamore by companies that have worked very closely with IDA Ireland.

My question is on IDA Ireland parks. I am aware that there is a witness present from the properties section. What is the state of play? How much property is IDA Ireland hoping to purchase in the coming years? It is all about retention now because of the global headwinds we are facing into with regard to tariffs. What are we doing to retain jobs? What suite of supports is IDA Ireland or the Department of enterprise offering companies to keep their business here so we can look after employees and keep them working? I can imagine the pipeline is quite tough at the moment because many businesses are in a holding pattern because of what is going on with regard to tariffs and other developments in the US. What is the pipeline like for Ireland Inc. in trying to attract companies to do business here?