Dáil debates

Thursday, 23 March 2017

2:10 pm

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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11. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA visits in counties Sligo and Leitrim in 2016 and to date in 2017; the efforts currently underway to attract tenants to the new advanced IDA facility in Finisklin, Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14417/17]

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ask the Minister about the number of IDA visits in counties Sligo and Leitrim in 2016 and to date in 2017. What efforts are currently underway to attract tenants to the new advanced IDA facility in Finisklin, Sligo? The Minister visited the new state-of-the-art facility at Finisklin recently. However, there are many vacant premises in the industrial estate at Finisklin and elsewhere. I have been inundated with requests about this matter.

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy has only 30 seconds to introduce his question, but I will let him back in after the Minister's reply.

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Okay.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland maintains statistics in relation to site visits by potential investors on a quarterly basis. During 2016 there was a total of 20 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Sligo. This was up from seven in 2014 representing a 185% increase. There were eight site visits to County Leitrim in 2016, up from two in 2014 representing a 300% increase. It is expected that data on site visits for quarter one, 2017 will be available early next month. It should of course be remembered that site visits do not necessarily accurately project future investment, as most investment comes from an expansion of existing company activity.

The significant increase in site visits to Sligo and Leitrim only reflects part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to attract foreign direct investment to the north-west region. IDA Ireland has also made a considerable investment in a new 31,000 square foot advance technology building located in Finisklin Business Park, Sligo. This facility is due for completion at the end of April 2017. I am informed by the agency that this building is already being actively marketed to all potential investors.

Sligo and Leitrim at end-2016 had 27 companies and 2,703 jobs supported by the IDA.

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her reply. She mentioned that in 2016 the north west had 20 IDA sponsored site visits to County Sligo. Are any of those ongoing and, if so, what progress has been made? Does the Minister receive an update on all the visits? Are they successful or are clients going elsewhere? As the Minister knows, in my constituency the highest number of commercial vacancies are in County Sligo. The national unemployment rate is 6.6% but it is much higher in my constituency. I have heard announcements concerning foreign direct investment in Dublin and elsewhere on the east coast, but our area has a major problem with Brexit which is coming down the tracks quickly.

The Minister rightly referred to Enterprise Ireland and I acknowledge its work as well as the work being done by local enterprise offices or LEOs. In the third level sector, Sligo Institute of Technology and St. Angela's College produce an adequate number of talented graduates. However, I have expressed my concern about jobs in my constituency to the Minister on a number of occasions.

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I do not wish to be rude but can I stop the Deputy there? I would like to allow the Minister to reply and I will then let the Deputy have another minute.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge that Deputy McLoughlin and I have had numerous conversations in County Sligo. County Sligo is close to my heart because while my family is from Galway, most of them live in County Sligo. Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and the LEOs are all working hard to ensure that jobs are landed. A wonderful new IDA advance factory has been built in Sligo and I am hopeful that we will be able to land a good company there with sustainable jobs.

The Deputy also asked me if site visits were being followed up. The IDA follows up every lead, as I have seen for myself when I am with them. I cannot answer the question fully because it is commercially sensitive and so I could not possible tell the Deputy what companies will decide to invest in Sligo. However, not only are we conducting site visits there but we are also talking to companies to make sure that if they want to expand they will be helped to do so. We will continue to do that. There are excellent people in Sligo from the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise office. There is also an excellent chamber of commerce and trading community.

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge what the Minister has said about personnel from the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs. I have often wondered about providing incentives to bring people to the west and north west. On the east coast, including Dublin, it can be difficult to find homes to buy or school places for children. Additional incentives should therefore be provided to companies to relocate to the Sligo-Leitrim region because we have all the necessary facilities there. The work of the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and LEOs in trying to attract more jobs to the north west is vitally important.

The Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy, referred earlier to his own area of Roscommon. This is a plea from the heart for more investment in the north west. I know the Minister is doing her utmost, but additional incentives would encourage people to come to the west. If they do come, as the Minister's family has done in recent years, they will never leave. More employment is needed in the region, but rates are too high.

Photo of Eugene MurphyEugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I will keep the Minister's reply to one minute because I want to get through more questions.

Photo of Mary Mitchell O'ConnorMary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I agree, Chair. Deputy McLoughlin mentioned Sligo Institute of Technology which is a wonderful place. I have met the institute's president and there are fantastic courses being offered there. As the Deputy may know, when companies come to Sligo that college runs courses to make sure there is a pool of talent ready. There is also a wonderful tourism sector in the area. Some 584 new jobs were created there from 2011 to 2016. I can assure the Deputy that I try to get to Sligo as often as I can to see my new granddaughter. I am very conscious of all the attractions that Sligo has. There are talented people there in addition to effective personnel from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. We will make sure to keep the pressure on to land those jobs in Sligo.