Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. We were all very concerned to learn of the difficulties being experienced by Leprino Foods in Portlaoise. The Minister extends his sympathies to all employees and their families who may be affected by this decision taken by the company, and he knows that this news will be very concerning for all the workers involved and their families.

I understand the Minister received a collective redundancy notification from Leprino Foods EU Limited on 19 August 2025. The Deputy will be aware that Ireland has a robust framework of legislative protections and supports for workers who are affected by redundancy. Under the Protection of Employment Act 1977, employers planning collective redundancies must undertake a 30-day consultation and information process with employee representatives and notify the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment of the proposed redundancies at least 30 days before they take effect. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Social Protection will support the company and its employees in any way they can. Enterprise Ireland supports both national and international food and drink manufacturers and will continue to engage with them to set up in Ireland, supporting them to scale, expand and access our world-leading food innovation ecosystem.

IDA Ireland has continued its strong commitment to regional development, which is one of four key strategic objectives of its 2025-29 strategy, Adapt Intelligently. This ambitious strategy aims to secure 550 foreign direct investment, FDI, projects outside Dublin, accounting for 55% of all planned investments. The overarching goal is to create 75,000 new jobs nationwide and generate a projected €250 billion in economic impact. IDA Ireland has also set ambitious targets for every region, including the midlands region. The FDI performance in the midlands has been strong over the past five years, with employment among IDA clients increasing by 26 and a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across life sciences, technology, global business and financial services and engineering and industrial technologies.

As the Deputy said, 145 people are currently employed across five IDA Ireland-supported companies in County Laois. He expressed dissatisfaction with the growth in that area and in particular with the number of visits IDA Ireland has undertaken to the county and I will pass that message on to the Minister. However, as he pointed out, we now have new motorways, upgraded infrastructure, and upgraded and new serviced sites, all because of Government investment.

These are going to make County Laois an even more effective location for investment.

IDA Ireland partners with clients and key stakeholders to build on the strength and competencies of the midlands region, with the particular focus on high-value manufacturing, services and research and development opportunities across a number of established clusters, whether they be in life sciences, technology, global business services or engineering technology trends. It has created, and will continue to create, new opportunities across the region in areas including data analytics, smart manufacturing and cybersecurity. It will also look at new approaches to working, such as co-working hubs.

A core objective of IDA Ireland is to deliver a competitive property offering that supports FDI and the growth and expansion of indigenous clients within the Enterprise Ireland portfolio. The IDA's current strategy includes a partnership with Laois County Council to deliver an advanced planning permit in Portlaoise.

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