Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for coming in and giving of their time. I think they work very well together. I had the pleasure of meeting both sides at a recent event with the Minister in Athlone. It was great to see the heads of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the one place working with like-minded people.

I will direct my question to IDA Ireland. I appreciate that when it is attracting the company, there is a complete package that must be put out there to attract a company to an area. It includes things like the advance availability of a suitable premises that would cover both office and manufacturing. Some places would have a third-level institution that would provide talented employees who are ready to go. Companies nowadays want to see a quality of life for their staff so what a town or city has to offer is very important.

There is a perception on the ground that IDA visits are very important, some towns are getting more of them than others and some towns are getting none. I am very fortunate in representing a constituency that has two counties and three very large towns, one of which I have to say from a parochial perspective is doing reasonably well. The other two towns do not seem to be getting the IDA visits people on the ground would like. What does an area or town need to do to get an IDA visit and what kind of money is invested by the IDA in a visit to attract people to the town to have a look at it?

In his presentation, Mr. Shanahan said that there were 148 job losses in the miscellaneous sector. Could he tell me what this sector is? I come from the midlands which has become a pharma hub. In his presentation, Mr. Shanahan said that there are fewer new jobs in the pharmaceutical sector. Why is there a lack of growth in this sector? It seems to be doing very well and the perception is that it is doing well but Mr. Shanahan says that there are fewer jobs in the pharmaceutical sector and less growth. What is the reason for this?

People think IDA visits are the most important thing and they forget about Enterprise Ireland, indigenous companies and jobs that are being provided. There is an obsession with getting an IDA visit and getting a factory into a town.