Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of site visits to Drogheda, Cavan, Dundalk and Mullingar that the industrial promotion agencies have made in each of 2002, 2003, 2004 and to date in 2005; the number of such visits planned for the remainder of 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35509/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Support for job creation and investment is a matter for the industrial development agencies. Under the Industrial Development Acts, I may give general policy directives to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland but I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others. Ultimately, decisions regarding where to locate, including what areas or sites to visit as potential locations, are taken by investors.

IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for attracting foreign direct investment to the country and I understand from the agency that from 2002 to date, a total of 182 site visits have been made to the towns listed by the Deputy. A detailed breakdown in respect of each town is given in the attached tabular statement. IDA Ireland does not normally speculate on the number of visits that may occur up to a year-end as these depend on the global climate at the time.

Enterprise Ireland, the agency with prime responsibility for fostering indigenous industry, has informed me that its itineraries for site visits relate to mobile investments, normally from overseas. Enterprise Ireland client companies tend not to be very mobile. Therefore, the number of site visits arranged by Enterprise Ireland only relates to a small number of companies. In the period in question a series of visits to the specified towns or surrounding areas was organised for 15 companies.