Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she will liaise with IDA Ireland and Meath County Council to help to facilitate and expedite the provision of a football pitch on IDA Ireland-owned lands in the Johnstown area of Navan, County Meath for the purpose of providing facilities for this residential area of Navan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23016/17]

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to outline the progress that has been made in securing additional investment in the IDA Ireland business park in the Johnstown area of Navan, County Meath. [23017/17]

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am delighted to raise the IDA Ireland business park in Navan with the Minister. I know that having worked in nearby Rathfeigh some time ago, she has a good appreciation and knowledge of this part of Navan and County Meath. I want to raise two questions with her. First, what progress is being made in securing additional investment in the IDA Ireland business park in the Johnstown area of Navan? My second question involves a social issue relating to land in the Johnstown area. Will the Minister liaise with IDA Ireland and Meath County Council to help to facilitate and expedite the provision of football pitches and sporting facilities on lands in Johnstown that are owned by IDA Ireland? Such facilities are needed by those living in the residential area that adjoins the IDA Ireland business park in the town.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 59 together.

I know the area referred to by Deputy Cassells very well. I was privileged to be able to rear my children in County Meath. I sent them to school in Skryne and reared them in the Seneschalstown-Hayestown area. We used to use the Johnstown road regularly.

My priority as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is to drive creation of high-quality and sustainable employment across Ireland, including in County Meath. We are making significant progress towards achieving our regional development targets, which include an increase of between 30% and 40% in foreign direct investment in the mid-east region, which incorporates counties Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. There are 56 multinational companies based in this region, 17 of which are located in Meath and employ 1,496 staff. IDA Ireland is committed to increasing investment in County Meath by ensuring there is an adequate supply of modern property solutions and supporting the development of the county’s foreign direct investment base. The agency is encouraging its client base in the county to undertake further investment projects. IDA Ireland will continue to work with local authorities and other relevant agencies to support the development of further quality infrastructure in County Meath. The Deputy will appreciate that my focus and that of the IDA must remain on how best to attract investment and jobs to the county. The IDA Ireland property in Navan is potentially attractive to investors. The agency continues to promote the site to its clients. Nevertheless, I have brought the Deputy's request to the attention of the agency.

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The area in question has grown exponentially since the era when the Minister lived nearby. Approximately 10,000 people are now living in 3,000 homes in this pocket of Navan. As a growing town, Navan needs substantial attention when it comes to jobs, especially considering that one of the main employers in the area, Tara Mines, is in a precarious position because it is involved in the extraction of zinc, which is a finite resource. There were no IDA Ireland site visits to County Meath in the first quarter of this year. There were just eight such visits in all of last year. This pales into insignificance by comparison with our neighbours in County Westmeath, where there were 36 such visits, and in County Louth, where there were 24 such visits. The Minister spoke about investment in County Meath. The strategy in the county must stretch beyond securing back-office facilities for Facebook in Clonee. We need to see investment in the heart of our county. We need to ensure there are quality jobs in the areas where people are being housed under the national planning framework strategy.

One of these questions relates to social facilities. I have asked the Minister to ensure her Department liaises with Meath County Council in this regard. I do not want to confuse the two issues. Two questions I tabled separately have been grouped. There is scope within the IDA Ireland business park in Johnstown for the release of some of the land that adjoins a residential area in which there are 3,000 homes. This would facilitate the development of football fields and social amenities. My colleague on Meath County Council, Councillor Tommy Reilly, has raised this issue and has been working diligently with the council's enterprise section and with IDA Ireland. I ask the Minister to work with her Department and IDA Ireland to help Johnstown Football Club, which was founded in 2004, to extend its facilities. The only open lands that are available in this part of Navan are the excess lands in the IDA Ireland park. I ask the Minister to help those involved with the football club to realise their dream of providing additional facilities for young people in the locality.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that there are 3,000 homes in this part of Navan. I was in Johnstown shopping centre on bank holiday Monday. The Deputy has quoted statistics for IDA Ireland site visits. I remind him that companies which are already here in Ireland like to expand. It would be very difficult for me to hand this valuable land over for the development of a football field. Having worked as a school principal in Skryne, which is football country, I understand exactly how important land is for those involved in football. As I mentioned, I have brought this request to the attention of the agency and I will follow it up. However, I must inform the Deputy that as of now, we would like to make sure the land to which he refers is kept for investment.

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed to hear that. I appeal again to the Minister to work on this issue with Meath County Council and my colleague in Navan, Councillor Tommy Reilly. The successes at the IDA Ireland park in the town include Generali PanEurope, Timoney Technology, Welch Allyn and Lir Chocolates. Last Christmas, the Meath County Council's director of economic services, Kevin Stewart, submitted a planning application on behalf of Meath Enterprise Board, on which I formerly sat. This application would allow for the construction of an advanced technology building of 2,500 sq. m on the land in question. It has been specifically pitched to provide for the development of a purpose-built facility for new startups and companies that are looking at the potential of Navan. I would like to discuss the Navan economic plan with the Minister so that we can consider where Navan is going. I ask her to place a renewed focus on the proactive measures that are being proposed by the council's economics section, particularly the lodging of a planning application for a building of 2,500 sq. m to supplement what is already happening in companies like Generali PanEurope and Welch Allyn. I am also calling on her not to rule out what I have suggested on the social amenity side. There are 3,000 people living in this part of Navan. The Minister said she was there on bank holiday Monday. Johnstown Football Club needs a pocket of IDA Ireland's extensive and expansive landbank. I ask the Minister to work proactively with IDA Ireland in this respect so that the football club can develop.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Deputy. The local enterprise office in Navan supported 927 jobs in 2016. Hardly anybody talks about what Enterprise Ireland does in counties like Meath. It supports 7,007 jobs in County Meath. As I said earlier, IDA Ireland supports 1,496 jobs in the county. I will take the Deputy up on his invitation to meet him in County Meath very soon to talk about the plans for the county.

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I look forward to it. The other Deputies from County Meath are also invited.

Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister.