Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have constant engagement with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland on job creation across the country. Both agencies are very conscious of the need to attract regional investment and, importantly, to support jobs that are already here. If one looks at the figures, 70% of all new FDI comes from existing IDA Ireland client companies. Site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential. Donegal is now home to 12 IDA Ireland companies, employing 3,039 employees. That is important. It is a 37% increase since 2012. There are things happening and there are improvements. One can see that from the employment figures for Donegal. It is a 37% increase. It is important. It is going in the right direction.

I take the Deputy's point that this is a particularly challenging time in terms of the potential Brexit challenge. The Deputy should be absolutely clear that IDA Ireland is focused on regional development. We can work so far in terms of supporting a company to go into a regional area but at the end of the day the company decides where it wants to locate. What all of us working together have to do is make sure our regions are in a position to continue to attract and support foreign direct investment. Indigenous business is extremely important as well in terms of the future growth of job creation in Donegal.

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