Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for business and industry to locate at the business park in Askeaton, County Limerick. [2879/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The attraction of business and industry to the business park at Askeaton is a day-to-day operational matter for the relevant development agencies. IDA Ireland is the national agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions, while Shannon Development is responsible for indigenous industry in the mid-west area. The business park is a land bank of approximately 227 acres that is owned by Shannon Development. IDA Ireland and Shannon Development are actively marketing the park for new investment and jobs. In particular, they are promoting the park as an attractive location for new projects from the pharmaceutical and chemical sector. Decisions on where to locate a project, including what areas to visit as potential locations, are taken by investors.

The Askeaton area has a good mix of Irish industry and foreign direct investment, with major multinational corporations such as Wyeth and Aughinish Alumina Limited located there. I understand that the business park has been identified as an important site from a business and employment perspective for the county and the region in the planning and land use transportation study, the mid-west regional planning guidelines and in the draft county development plan. I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by the development agencies, together with the Government's ongoing commitment to regional development, will bear fruit in terms of delivering the maximum possible level of additional jobs.