Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Dowd for raising this matter again. He has a keen interest in ensuring that we get more employment and investment into Drogheda. The new IDA Ireland land bank at the Mell in Drogheda forms part of IDA Ireland's long-term strategic plans to position Drogheda and the wider mid-east region to compete for FDI. I have been advised that since acquiring this land bank last year, IDA Ireland has undertaken an infrastructural review on servicing and how best to position the land bank for a potential major investment. The project is at the concept review stage now and a multidisciplinary team has been appointed by IDA Ireland. This review is ongoing and progressing well.

IDA Ireland and Louth County Council have agreed terms on the transfer of seven acres to IDA Ireland. This transfer is currently the subject of a conveyancing process. Once the transfer is complete, it will increase IDA Ireland's current landholding to 46 acres and enhance the marketability and attractiveness of the lands to potential investors. In recent years, IDA Ireland has worked with companies on investments and expansions in County Louth, including WUXI, Wasdell, Almac, PCI Pharma Services, Amazon Web Services, AWS, and Simply NUC. IDA Ireland is pleased to have acquired these two land banks which will enhance its ability to bring capital intensive projects of significant scale to the area.

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