Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 131: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is satisfied that sufficient action has been taken to address the issue of jobs lost in County Kildare over the past three years to other economies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11523/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Provisional figures suggest that job losses in companies supported by the enterprise development agencies which have occurred during the past three years have been offset by job gains. Overall permanent employment in agency supported firms in County Kildare has increased from 15,293 in 2003 to 16,070 in 2005. No data are available to indicate what impact relocation to other economies may have had on employment levels in the county.

Over the past five years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the county as part of an integrated east region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. IDA Ireland's strategy for County Kildare is to: progress the development of a knowledge economy; encourage increased co-operation between foreign direct investment companies and third level institutions in the county; work with the existing client base in the county to expand its presence; and provide modern property solutions with supporting infrastructure work with local authorities and relevant infrastructure providers to influence the delivery of appropriate infrastructure to the county.

Kildare has in recent years attracted some world class manufacturing companies such as Intel, Braun Oral B and Hewlett Packard. IDA Ireland is also working to attract the international services, software, financial services and pharmaceuticals sectors and in recent months IFS, a financial services company, has established a facility in Naas. To support this strategy IDA Ireland is working closely with educational institutions in the county, in developing the skill sets necessary to attract high value added employment to the county. IDA Ireland is also working with FÁS to provide guidance in developing the skill set needed by those already in the workforce who are interested in upskilling.

In line with the strategy currently being pursued by the enterprise development agencies, new jobs are being created by established firms in the county. Green Isle Foods, for example, announced a major expansion in 2005 at its plant in Naas, generating 130 new jobs. The services sector has also continued to grow and is now the most rapidly growing sector of the economy in County Kildare.

County Kildare has benefited from significant investment in recent years in technological infrastructure in NUI Maynooth. This will be the key to ensuring that the county is an attractive location for knowledge based industry in future years. Since 2002, Enterprise Ireland has approved over €3.3 million to support innovation partnerships between NUI Maynooth and industry. In addition to providing direct financial assistance, Kildare CEB also provides indirect assistance such as advice, mentoring and a broad range of training programmes for prospective entrants or established participants in the micro-enterprise sector.

Improvements to physical infrastructure facilities, required to attract today's FDI, include the development of Millennium Park, Naas. The park has three modern 40,000 sq. ft. advance office buildings, which are now available for marketing to inward investors.

Enterprise in Kildare encompasses a broad range of activities in a number of important sectors. I am confident that the strategies and policies of the enterprise development agencies will continue to meet both the needs of businesses that generate and sustain high quality employment opportunities and, as a consequence, the needs of society in terms of those opportunities in Kildare.