Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I tabled this Commencement matter because I am asking for more investment in job creation in north and east Mayo. I want to ensure the State agencies responsible for job creation and investment, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and to a lesser extent the local enterprise office, are doing their job in this particular area. My focus is on this area as opposed to Mayo as a whole.

The last census showed a decline in population in the area. We have an older population and younger people have left mainly to get work. In many cases they are highly educated young people. However, after getting third level qualifications they cannot find appropriate jobs in north and east Mayo. The region is highly dependent on the agrifood and tourism sectors. As we all know, these sectors will be particularly adversely impacted by Brexit. I ask the Minister of State to set out the plans to ramp up investment.

In November 2015 the Action Plan for Jobs west was launched with targets some of which went up to 2019. It placed obligations on IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices to deliver. I ask the Minister of State to outline, based on his scorecard, how they have been delivering for north and east Mayo. How many visits have IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland organised for this area? What have they been doing? What are their successes? What is in the pipeline? What is planned?

The region has much to offer. We have a tradition of med-tech companies. Hollister must have been there for 40 years and it employs nearly 830 people. Coca-Cola and Baxter are located in the region. I have listed out some of the selling points that IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland should highlight to potential investors. A high-speed transatlantic fibre optic cable makes landfall at the Asahi site at Killala with planning permission for a data centre beside it. There is also planning permission for a renewable energy electricity plant beside it.

Up the road in Ballina, for about 15 years IDA Ireland has had a designated technology park with services to it, but has done nothing with it. Around Ballina there is a metropolitan area network. High-speed fibre optic cable services the town, which is very well serviced overall. There are metropolitan area networks around Ireland West Airport in Knock, Kiltimagh and Claremorris. What do we have to show for this? How does the Minister of State envisage the area selling itself as a hub? What is its selling point? As technology is up and coming, it would be an area where we should be able to sell ourselves. How is that being done?

The issues relating to planning permission for a data centre in Athenry have been well rehearsed. The Asahi plant has planning permission, but there is no data centre. A renewable energy plant could potentially be built beside it and the fibre optic cable is in place. The area has so much going for it but nothing seems to be happening. It is high time to challenge the State agencies so that we can see delivery for this area. The champions of industry and business and the people on the ground themselves have an appetite to get stuck in and see delivery under the Action Plan for Jobs.