Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 644: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA supported jobs which were created in County Kerry in each of the years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. [24268/05]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 650: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs created with IDA support in County Kerry for each year from 2000 to 2005 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24493/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 644 and 650 together.

The number of IDA supported jobs created in County Kerry in each of the years from 2000 to 2004, inclusive, is set out in the attached tabular statement. These data are compiled from the annual Forfás employment survey. County data for 2005 will not be available until mid-2006. IDA Ireland's strategy for Kerry is to win high value investments in the international services, engineering and ICT sectors. Such investments, be they greenfield or expansion of existing operations, are often related to research activities and require high level skills, infrastructure and business services. The result of such investment is the generation of more high value products, services and higher paid jobs. IDA Ireland is pursuing this strategy within the national spatial strategy, NSS, which has designated Tralee and Killarney as linked hubs. The objective is to create the environment that is demanded by overseas investors.

IDA Ireland is actively promoting County Kerry to potential investors via its network of overseas offices and project divisions with every effort being made to secure new investments for the area. In addition to targeting potential new projects, IDA Ireland continues to work with the existing base of companies in the region with a view to supporting such companies with potential expansions and diversification of activities. The number of new IDA supported jobs created in Kerry in each of the years 2000 to 2004 is set out in the following table: