Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The mid-west Regional Action Plan for Jobs process has had some notable successes such as the launch of Propeller Shannon Accelerator, a student enterprise network at the University of Limerick, and a Limerick for Engineering showcase, among many other initiatives. Earlier this year I asked the implementation committees for the Regional Action Plan for Jobs, including in the mid-west, to refresh and refocus their plans so as to ensure their relevance and impact from now until 2020. The mid-west is one of the best performing areas in collaborating, attracting investment and jobs. I have been especially struck by the success of Limerick and surrounding areas in the last year. There have been huge job announcements. I recently visited Edwards Lifesciences which has announced the creation of 600 new jobs in Castletroy. More than 122,000 people are employed across 649 IDA Ireland client companies located outside Dublin. Some 45% of all new foreign direct investment jobs created last year were in regional locations. IDA Ireland client companies in the entire mid-west region created 897 new jobs in 2017, an increase of 5% since 2016, with total employment in overseas companies in the region now standing at 17,787 jobs across 128 client companies, which is a wonderful achievement. Looking ahead, IDA Ireland will continue to work with both existing and prospective clients to identify new opportunities for investment in the mid-west and highlight the region's strengths for overseas firms.

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