Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question, which asks what projects are in the pipeline. He will understand that any project is commercially sensitive until it is finally announced and I am not at liberty to indicate what might be in the pipeline. However, I am optimistic about projects for the future. There have been a number of good projects and good, strong announcements have been made in respect of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Ericsson and VistaMed. I take the Deputy's point regarding the position since MBNA announced its withdrawal from Carrick-on-Shannon. As the Deputy is aware, part of its book for the Irish market found a buyer in AvantCard and while the other part of its book did not. I can assure the Deputy that both my Department's agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, are working hard to seek to find whether there are alternative uses to keep together that skill base.

Overall, there has been a growth in employment within the four counties the Deputy mentions, which in regional terms span a number of regions, namely, the midlands, west and north west. At present in those regions, there are 159 IDA client companies employing 27,271 people and there has been an increase of more than 3,000 jobs by those companies over the past three years. Consequently, significant progress is being made in that area. I recognise that while all regions have seen job growth, not all regions are enjoying the same job growth. One initiative being taken this year is that my Department will publish shortly a regional enterprise framework within which it can seek to work with stakeholders in the regions to develop their regions to best effect and the IDA will be intimately involved with the work in that regard.

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