Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Nenagh arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10683/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Thurles arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10684/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 429: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Roscrea arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10685/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 430: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Templemore arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10686/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Newport arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10687/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Borrisokane arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10688/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to north Tipperary arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers, or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10865/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Limerick arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers, or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10866/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to Clare arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers, or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to the town by comparison with other towns in the mid-west region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10867/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 446: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to the entire mid-west region arranged by Shannon Development and the IDA for potential foreign direct investors, industrial developers, or potential locating multinationals in each year since 2000; the level of priority for investment purposes given to this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10868/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 432, inclusive, and 443 to 446, inclusive, together.

IDA Ireland has statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to the mid-west region, except for the Shannon Free Zone, which falls within the remit of Shannon Development. Shannon Development is also responsible for supporting indigenous enterprises in the mid-west region, where it acts as agent for Enterprise Ireland.

Responsibility for the provision of industrial property solutions within the mid-west region also lies with Shannon Development, and IDA Ireland works closely with Shannon Development in the promotion and marketing of those tailored property solutions. Initiatives undertaken by Shannon Development include the development of the Tipperary Technology Park in Thurles and the Ennis Information Age Park, two of the network of five such parks in the region. Shannon Development has also acquired a 29-acre site in Roscrea with a view to developing a business park appropriate to the needs of the area.

The following tabular statement sets out the number of site visits in the period from 2000 to date in 2006 that were organised by IDA Ireland to locations in the mid-west region, together with the number of visits organised by Shannon Development in the Shannon Free Zone. During that period IDA Ireland organised a total of 147 itineraries, of which six were to Roscrea, five to Nenagh, and one to Thurles. None was recorded to Templemore, Newport or Borrisokane. In the same period, Shannon Development organised a total of 131 visits to the Shannon Free Zone.

A central goal for IDA Ireland is the achievement of balanced regional development. The national spatial strategy provides a framework for the achievement of that goal through the prioritisation of development and investment in the linked gateway of Limerick and Shannon and hub locations of Ennis and Tralee to allow foreign direct investment needs to be met. In addition, north Tipperary is actively promoted by IDA Ireland as part of an integrated mid-west region. For IDA Ireland purposes, the mid-west region consists of Counties Clare, Limerick, north Tipperary and north Kerry.

IDA Ireland's sectoral emphasis in the mid-west region is on attracting new knowledge-intensive projects in information and communications technology, globally traded businesses, medical technologies and life sciences.

Shannon International Airport is a key asset that enhances the attractiveness of the area for FDI, and it continues to play a major role in the in the economic development of the mid-west region. However, the decision regarding where to locate is ultimately up to the individual investor, and clients looking at Ireland are often only willing to consider larger centres that have the scale, infrastructure and services capable of sustaining their investment.

Shannon Development, in association with local authorities, is also spearheading the drive to bring high-speed Internet access to the region. Templemore, Nenagh and Roscrea have been scheduled as priority towns for phase 2 of the broadband roll-out programme. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has recently approved funding for metropolitan area networks to be installed in each town, which should assist in attracting FDI and indigenous industry. Newport has also been selected by Shannon Development as part of its eTowns pilot project, which aims to assist the renewal or improvement of smaller communities in multiple locations.

I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland and Shannon Development in the mid-west region, together with the ongoing commitment by the Government to regional development, will bear fruit in investment and job creation for the mid-west region.