Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

It also offered individual one-to-one guidance interviews to include: identification of current qualifications and job requirements; provision of information on job opportunities, mid-west, national and EU; identification of upskilling training requirements; provision of a broad range of training programmes in response; referral to educational providers where appropriate; and referral to enterprise boards regarding start your own business initiatives, where appropriate. In addition FÁS will host training and job opportunities events in Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary. These events will have local, national and European vacancies on display as well as employers in attendance.

FÁS, Enterprise Ireland and the City and County Enterprise Boards, University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology have developed a web portal to assist people who find themselves out of work in the mid-west. This web portal will guide people through the initial orientation process into new opportunities. Through this co-ordinated approach, the affiliated organisations are ensuring that valuable time is not lost and people will get clear and comprehensive individual guidance. The web portal will provide information and direct access to designated contact people within the organisations.

In the mid-west area, IDA Ireland has been working diligently to secure new investments, and over the past year companies like Vistakon, Zimmer, Cook, DTS and Microsemi have announced jobs in the region. The agency has a pipeline of projects under consideration. These potential investments are being pursued and IDA will do everything possible to speed up the investment decisions in Limerick's favour.

IDA Ireland's regional strategy reflects the NSS, with an emphasis on the Limerick-Shannon gateway and on the hub town of Ennis. IDA Ireland's strategy for the mid-west region and Limerick is and will continue to be — transition to a knowledge economy by winning new foreign direct investment, FDI, in innovation driven, high value, high skills sectors; to work with the existing company base to expand their presence by increasing the number and scale of functions being carried out and by adding further strategic functions; to promote balanced regional development; to influence the provision of modern property solutions with supporting infrastructure; and to work with local authorities and other partners to influence the creation of the right infrastructural environment to help win new FDI throughout the region. The investment projects the IDA seeks to attract to Limerick——

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