Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he has taken to promote Youghal, County Cork in respect of industrial development to tackle the increasing scarcity of employment opportunities for Youghal. [3808/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Support for job creation and investment in individual counties and regions is a day to day operational matter for the development agencies as part of their responsibility under the Industrial Development Acts. While I may give general policy directives to the agencies I am precluded under the Industrial Developments Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

IDA Ireland, the agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland, is actively marketing the east Cork area which includes locations such as Youghal, Little Island, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy to potential investors on an ongoing basis. I am informed that every effort is being made to secure further advanced knowledge based industries for Youghal. The availability of a 4 hectare site with two high quality manufacturing facilities is a valuable asset in this regard. Existing FDI companies in Youghal include Avery Dennison, Tytex, and Artesyn Technologies.

Since 2003 more than 60% of all new investments announced in Cork city and county have been based in the east Cork area. The recent Amgen announcement of 1,100 new jobs at an €820 million facility at Carrigtohill, which is only 20 miles from Youghal, is a significant achievement by IDA Ireland, as it involves a major global project which has chosen east Cork as its development location.

From an inward investment perspective, IDA Ireland believes that Youghal, due to its proximity to the greater Cork area, benefits considerably from ongoing developments in the city and county. Since 1993 direct employment in IDA supported companies in Cork city and county has grown by more than 80%.

Enterprise Ireland, which is the agency with prime responsibility for the development of indigenous industries, is working closely with community groups in the towns of east Cork including Youghal, to foster further embryonic enterprise and to encourage young graduates to set up businesses in their own localities. In association with the South Cork Enterprise Board, the agency facilitated and encouraged the coming together of the group Enterprise Youghal, comprising representatives of the Youghal Chamber of Commerce, the town council and other interested parties, to drive and encourage an enterprise culture within the town.

Enterprise Ireland has set up a meeting with the Enterprise Youghal group and the South Cork County Enterprise Board, SCCEB, scheduled for 8 February 2006 to discuss the prospect of an application by the group for Enterprise Ireland assistance under the recently announced community enterprise scheme for the provision of community based incubator units which would stimulate business start-ups in the town.

The SCCEB, was established in 1993 to provide support to the south Cork area for small businesses with ten employees or fewer. Since its inception SCCEB has approved a total of €175,734 to 12 projects in the Youghal region in the past two years.

I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by the development agencies, together with the ongoing commitment of Government to regional development, will bear fruit in terms of additional sustainable investment and jobs for the people of east Cork, including those living in Youghal.