Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 389: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of new jobs which have been supported in each of the six Border counties over each of the past five years through IDA or Enterprise Ireland; if he has satisfied himself that sufficient effort is being made to attract inward investment or start-up jobs in this hard hit area which is losing its young graduates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21146/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A total of 12,305 new jobs have been supported by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in the six Border counties over the past five years and details are set out in the following table.

IDA Ireland has set a high level performance target for the BMW region, of which the Border counties are an integral part. This commits IDA Ireland to try to achieve a target of 50% of all new greenfield jobs to be located in the Objective One area during the period 2000 to 2006. In this regard, substantial progress has been achieved to date. In 1999, prior to the start of the current national development plan, about 25% of all new greenfield jobs were located in the Objective One area. This rose to an average of 44% in the period 2000 to 2004.

Enterprise Ireland's new strategy for 2005 to 2007, transforming Irish industry, which I announced on 4 May 2005, places a strong emphasis on increasing even further the number of new start-ups in the regions and increasing the growth rate of these companies. The agencies' policy objectives for balanced regional development are reflected in the structure of their funding offers. The maximum grant levels are higher in the BMW region than in the southern and eastern regions and a higher proportion of this funding is also non-repayable.