Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 199: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13673/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13674/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13675/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13676/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13677/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13678/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13679/06]

Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visits to a town (details supplied) in County Galway arranged by 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 Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13680/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 199 to 206, inclusive, together.

IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the agency. While I may give general policy directives to the agency, I am precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

I have been informed by IDA Ireland that in the period 2000 to 2005 there have been a total of 113 site visits by prospective investors to the Galway area. According to the agency, there were 35 five site visits to Ballinasloe in the period and two site visits to Gort, one of which was in 2003 and one in 2005. The number of visits paid in each of those years to these locations is set out in the table. No visits took place to the towns of Portumna, Mountbellew, Kinvara, Headford, Glenamaddy and Athenry during this period.

A central goal for IDA Ireland is the achievement of balanced regional development. The national spatial strategy provides a framework for achievement of this goal through the prioritisation of development and investment in the gateway and hub locations. On this basis, IDA Ireland strategy in the west seeks to attract foreign direct investment into the gateway city of Galway, the hub town of Tuam, the linked hubs of Ballina and Castlebar, as well as other locations throughout the west such as Ballinasloe, Westport and Gort.

IDA supported companies are showing very strong employment numbers in County Galway, now accounting for almost 10,000 permanent jobs. IDA Ireland continues to work actively with the existing base of overseas companies across the county to encourage them to grow and expand. The agency's sectoral emphasis is on attracting new knowledge intensive projects in medical technologies, life sciences, information communications and technology and international services. The agency is committed to securing knowledge based, value added, FDI for the county and is actively marketing it to potential investors.

I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by IDA Ireland in County Galway in general, together with the ongoing commitment by Government to regional development, will continue to bear fruit in terms of overseas investment and jobs for the people of the county as a whole.