Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Mac Lochlainn for raising this matter. As a representative from the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, job creation in the Border region is particularly close to my heart. In that regard, I will begin by stressing that the Government is determined to support the growth of high-quality and sustainable employment across Ireland, including in County Donegal. Regional development is - and will remain - a national priority and sustained efforts are being made to foster job creation and investment all over the country.

As Senator Mac Lochlainn said, the Donegal employment initiative task force was set up in 1999 as a long-term plan to target sustainable job growth for the region. The task force set out extremely ambitious targets for job creation for Donegal in terms of foreign direct investment and internationally traded services. While not all of the task force's targets have been met, the overall employment trends in the county are positive. When looking at employment growth in Donegal over the past ten years - or elsewhere across Ireland for that matter - it is also important to take account of the impact of the financial and fiscal crisis that began in 2008. We must be mindful of that. It had the effect of effectively reversing job creation and investment for a number of years, stalling the country's wider economic progress. Significant steps forward have been taken, however, since the country emerged from recession. If one compares, for example, foreign direct investment-related employment in Donegal at the beginning of our economic recovery in 2012 with our most recent FDI employment data at the end of 2017, one will find the county has experienced a 52% increase in FDI employment in that five-year period. Job numbers in IDA Ireland client companies there have grown from 2,223 in 2012 to 3,389 at the end of last year. That growth rate compares very favourably with the national average increase of 31% in FDI employment within this same period.

Last year alone, the number of IDA-supported jobs in Donegal increased by 11%, with the region now home to 12 IDA companies, which currently include SITA, Optibelt and Pramerica. The agency continues to work hard to create further employment opportunities in the county and to increase the number of multinational companies located there. Last October, my predecessor attended the opening of Pramerica's new state-of-the-art campus in Letterkenny, where more than 220 local tradesmen were employed during its construction. Pramerica's presence in the county began in 2000 with just eight employees and the firm has grown to become a highly successful company with more than 1,500 employed in County Donegal. I believe that exemplifies the potential that exists in the county and the efforts the Government and the IDA have made, and still are making, to bring more investment there. We want that to continue, which is why the IDA is working closely with both existing and new clients to encourage further projects and more job creation for the county.