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

There are no incentives for a company to locate in Dublin. The incentives apply when companies locate outside Dublin. I wish to have a strong city but I also wish to have strong regions because both are necessary. It should not be a case of Dublin against the rest of the country. I am from rural Ireland too and we want jobs in the regions. That is certainly a priority for me. However, experience shows that FDI-driven job creation is more likely to come from firms already in the country. Moreover, we must remember that site visits are only a preliminary step in encouraging investors to locate in Ireland. The final decision as to an investment location tends to come much later and always rests with the firm concerned.

Negative comments about an area are very unhelpful when attracting FDI. We must focus on the strengths and potential. The regional enterprise plans are focusing on the positives while addressing the weaknesses. I was in Tipperary recently to launch the regional enterprise plan. We cannot forget that FDI only forms one part of our enterprise base. Indigenous firms are responsible for a significant portion of employment.

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