Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Cullinane. The most recent annual employment survey showed that, at the end of 2014 in Waterford, there were a total of 10,157 people in full and part-time employment in client companies of Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.Enterprise Ireland clients employ 5,060 people while IDA Ireland clients employ 5,097. Corresponding figures for 2008 were 5,655 for Enterprise Ireland client companies and 6,790 for IDA Ireland client companies.

Waterford was particularly hit at the beginning of the downturn in the economy with the closure of Waterford Crystal. Following the closure of the Talk Talk call centre in 2011, by which time this Government had taken office, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, initiated the south east action plan and established the south east forum to drive the implementation of that plan, in late 2011. Officials from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation engage with the key State players on the forum to monitor developments on the detailed actions set out in the plan, and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, has held a considerable number of meetings with the forum.

Significant progress on job creation has been made in Waterford, as the Senator acknowledged, including the establishment of the new call centre operation, Eishtec, supported by Enterprise Ireland, which now employs more staff than previously worked for Talk Talk in the city. There have been several other job creation initiatives for the region as a result of the work of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. During 2014 Sanofi, currently employing 500, announced plans to invest €44 million in Genzyme's biotechnology campus in Waterford. Last autumn, the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, officiated at the launch of an exciting new €100 million project by West Pharmaceutical Services in Waterford city, the latest in a succession of new job creation projects in the region. The number of IDA Ireland site visits to Waterford doubled from 31 in the period from 2008 to 2010 to 62 in the period 2011 to 2014. In addition, other enterprise support initiatives have been developed to support new start-ups, graduate placements and research projects.

In order to improve the offering in the region to win new business, IDA Ireland has, under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, funded the construction of an advanced manufacturing facility in Waterford. IDA Ireland's commitment to Waterford continues, with further expansion expected in the Waterford area in terms of advanced manufacturing units and other facilities over the next period of time. The facility announced last year, which is under construction, is 2,348 sq. m in area and is located in the IDA Technology Park at Butlerstown. It is now nearing completion.