Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has plans to target industry and enterprise to rural Ireland and smaller towns by offering financial incentives to do so. [29178/04]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Support for job creation and investment on a regional or local basis is a day-to-day operational matter for the industrial development agencies. The agencies are actively promoting all areas for new investment and jobs on an ongoing basis. IDA Ireland is actively marketing individual areas as a location for additional foreign direct investment through its network of local and overseas offices. Enterprise Ireland is concentrating on the development of indigenous industries, with the 35 city and county enterprise boards having primary responsibility for the regional promotion of indigenous industry in the microenterprise sector. Shannon Development promotes the development of the indigenous industry sector in the Shannon region on behalf of Enterprise Ireland and foreign direct investment in the Shannon free zone. All agencies are also working with existing clients with a view to helping them expand their activities.

In tandem with the Government's national spatial strategy, with its associated gateways and hubs, all the development agencies are working with State agencies and others to enhance the attractiveness of individual regions. The strategy provides an important framework for the achievement of this objective through the prioritisation of infrastructural development in the gateway and hub locations and the development of magnets of attraction for investment.

The county enterprise boards are actively co-operating with the south and east and Border midlands and west regional authorities in developing indigenous microenterprises throughout the regions. A particular advantage of the county enterprise board system is that it delivers dispersed economic development throughout the State. Over 30,000 jobs have been created in indigenous companies supported by the boards since their establishment in 1993. Enterprise Ireland offers a wide range of supports to indigenous industry, both financial and non-financial. These contain higher aid levels for enterprises in the regions.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA supported jobs that were created in Donegal in 2001, 2002, 2003 and to date in 2004, respectively; the locations in which they were created; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29829/04]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, including its regions and areas. There were 673 new IDA Ireland supported jobs created in Donegal in the period 2001 to 2003, of which 353 were created in 2001, 179 were created in 2002 and 141 were created in 2003. These data are compiled from the annual Forfás employment survey. County data for 2004 will not be available until mid-2005. These new jobs were created in County Donegal in the Letterkenny, Laghey, Buncrana and Donegal Town areas.

These results were achieved against a background of new challenges brought about by a combination of the recent global economic downturn, which resulted in less companies investing overseas and fewer visiting Ireland. Other factors included greatly increased pressures on high technology companies to cut costs and find the most competitive location for specific products, services and functions; the emergence of new alternative low cost locations for producing goods and services in eastern Europe, China, and India. I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland in County Donegal, together with the ongoing commitment of Government to regional development, will continue to bear fruit in terms of delivering the maximum possible level of additional jobs for the county.