Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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12. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the measures her Department has planned in County Wexford in respect of the goal of increasing foreign direct investment in regional areas by 40% with regard to the recently launched Action Plan for Rural Development; her views on the low number of site visits made by IDA Ireland to County Wexford in the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6353/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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The Minister said we should be talking about jobs created rather than visits. At the end of November 2016 the unemployment rate in Wexford was 18.4% and it rose to 18.7% by the end of January 2017, so it is getting worse in Wexford while the national average is improving. The Minister might be planning to tell me about the 200 new jobs in the south-east but they are in other counties, not in Wexford. Is the State going to take hands-on action to deal with the fact Wexford is now one of the most deprived counties in the country?

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Rural Development is part of the wider cross-governmental Action Plan for Jobs process.  The regional Action Plans for Jobs, published by my Department, will feed into the Action Plan for Rural Development. Through these plans, IDA Ireland aims to increase foreign direct investment in each region by 30% to 40%.  In the south-east region, which includes Wexford, this will be achieved through measures including the development of advance facilities, new marketing initiatives and a campaign to encourage Dublin-based multinational companies to establish satellite offices in the region.

The number of IDA Ireland-supported site visits to Wexford has increased to seven in 2016. While this increase is news in itself and evidence of increased interest in investing in Wexford, it is important to note that data on site visits are not necessarily an accurate measure of the level of FDI activity in a region or county. A better measure of FDI activity is IDA Ireland’s record 2016 results. IDA client companies created 18,627 jobs during the year across a range of sectors. Every region of Ireland posted net job gains, with FDI jobs in Wexford increasing from 2,486 in 2015 to 2,630 in 2016, an increase of almost 6%. These were IDA Ireland-supported jobs.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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As I told the Minister, the figures show unemployment is rising in the county. The Minister spoke about seven site visits, which is the lowest number of visits to any county in the south-east, even though Wexford has the worst unemployment in the south east and the second highest population.

There are ten FDI companies in Wexford, which is low. From 2010 to 2015, there were 12 IDA site visits to Wexford. It was easy to increase from there. We received fewer IDA visits than any other county in the south east, despite our terrible unemployment rate. People do not seem to realise that we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, the highest suicide rate, one of the highest rates of rent supplement payment, one of the highest percentages of people who have no formal primary education, and one of the lowest rates of people completing third level education. The Government must take positive action to deal with it. It is a special case. Wexford, Donegal and Longford are the three most deprived counties.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The numbers on the live register in County Wexford have fallen by over 1,800 during the past year. In County Wexford, the number of jobs created and supported by LEO is 1,167. Enterprise Ireland, that agency which nobody ever seems to ask a question about, has created 4,696 jobs in County Wexford and there are 2,630 IDA supported jobs.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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The Minister can quote the figures. The point is that the unemployment rate in Wexford this week is 18.7%. Where in the country is there a worse rate. There is no point even talking about the youth unemployment rate. It is way up in the high 30s. It is madness. The Minister is living in cloud cuckoo land if she thinks the problem is being addressed. It is not. I am not saying it is the Minister's fault. For many years, the Government has neglected the country. Might the Government consider taking a different look at it, given that it needs special attention?

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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We have an implementation of an action plan. The last time the Deputy raised the question, I invited the Deputy to meet the implementation group. They are very willing to meet. The group includes the chief executive of Wexford County Council, representatives of the IDA and LEO, and business partners. It has helped create jobs across the county. We are focused on the south east. I am aware that it was a black spot, however jobs have been created. It is still 2% below the national average. We will ensure jobs will definitely be created. I ask the Deputy to work with the south east implementation group.