Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the latest information on the number of jobs created and lost in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies, distinguishing foreign and domestic owned, distinguishing manufacturing and internationally traded services over the period from the start of 2002 to the middle of 2005. [22566/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and the County Enterprise Boards, which are the bodies under my remit. Data on employment in the agencies is compiled from an annual employment survey carried out by Forfás. The most recent survey provides figures up to the end of 2004. Enterprise Ireland's client portfolio is primarily composed of companies that are Irish-owned. However, companies in the food and natural resources sectors are also dealt with by Enterprise Ireland regardless of ownership.

Enterprise Ireland client companies gained 38,218 jobs in the past three years. This was offset by losses in the order of 45,959. Foreign-owned client companies showed gains of 1,623 and losses of 4,483 for the period in question, while Irish-owned companies showed gains of 36,595 and losses of 41,476. On a sectoral basis, internationally traded services companies showed gains of 9,549 and losses of 9,182, while manufacturing companies showed gains of 28,669 and losses of 36,777.

IDA Ireland is responsible for foreign direct investment. For the period 2002-04, client companies in the manufacturing sector showed gains of 15,374 and losses of 24,291, while in the international financial services sector client companies recorded gains of 15,955 and losses of 14,583. Irish-owned client companies of Shannon Development in the manufacturing sector, including those located on the Shannon free zone, SFZ, showed gains of 1,817 for the period 2002-04 and losses of 2,182, while Irish-owned client companies in the internationally traded services sector, including those on the SFZ, showed gains of 446 and losses of 484. In respect of foreign-owned companies located on the SFZ, companies in the manufacturing sector showed gains of 312 for the period 2002-04 and losses of 868, while companies in the international services sector recorded gains of 434 and losses of 330.

The 35 county enterprise boards, CEBs, are charged with the development of indigenous domestic enterprises generally employing up to ten people. Data is available on the net increase or decrease in the number of jobs by clients of the CEBs. Data is compiled by all boards across all sectors on an annual basis only. Over the period 2002 to December 2004, job numbers in clients of the CEBs increased by 5,243.