Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regional development is a key priority for me and I am determined to help drive job creation all over Ireland. Increasing and sustaining foreign direct investment outside of our main urban areas represents a vital part of this.

IDA Ireland's strategy for 2015-19 includes a commitment to increase foreign direct investment in every region outside Dublin by 30%-40%. The 2016 results show that IDA Ireland is actively working towards this goal, with 52% of all jobs created by the agency's clients last year based outside of Dublin. Site visit statistics also indicate that progress is being made towards this objective. In 2016 there were 638 IDA-sponsored site visits nationwide, up from 565 in 2015. Locations outside Dublin accounted for 55% of these visits. It should be remembered that site visits do not necessarily accurately project future investment, as most investment comes from an expansion of existing company activity.

To attract more FDI to the regions, IDA Ireland must maintain an adequate supply of marketable serviced land and buildings that can be offered to potential investors. There are currently 23 vacant IDA-owned properties which are available for investment and I can provide details on these to the Deputy directly.

I emphasise that IDA Ireland is actively encouraging clients to locate in regional locations. The final decision, however, always lies with the company concerned and can be influenced by many different factors including access to talent, proximity to transport hubs and the suitability of local infrastructure.

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