Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 321: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of foreign investors which have been brought to visit each of the counties of Cavan and Monaghan in each of the past five years in an effort to provide high quality employment for graduates here; if he is satisfied that from 2001 to 2005, 872 IDA jobs have been lost in the border region; the effort he will make to encourage industry into this area as part of the ongoing peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24549/06]

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

IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas, including the counties of Cavan and Monaghan, 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 Industrial Development Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

I have been informed by the Agency that, during the years 2001 to 2005 inclusive, there have been a total of 13 site visits to the counties of Cavan and Monaghan. The following tabular statement sets out the number of site visits to each county in each of those years.

As regards the number of job losses, I have been informed by the Agency that, in the same period, the number of jobs in IDA supported companies in Cavan and Monaghan fell from 1,725 to 1,359, which is a net loss of 366. Any job losses are to be regretted but job creation and job losses are a feature of economic development in all countries as various sectors expand and contract in response to market demand for goods and services, competitive forces, restructuring and technological change. An encouraging development is that in the same period the number of new jobs created in Enterprise Ireland supported companies in these two counties amounted to 1,260.

The pursuit of the national goal of balanced and sustainable regional development is an important goal for my Department and the agencies under its remit. The National Spatial Strategy provides a framework for this goal wherein the focus is on the Gateway and Hub locations, with Cavan and Monaghan designated as Hub towns. I have been assured by all of the agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the County Enterprise Boards that they are actively working in collaboration with other stakeholders in the Border area to avail of the opportunities arising from the peace process and to secure new investment and jobs.

IDA Ireland is actively marketing Cavan and Monaghan through its range of overseas offices. The Agency manages a very good quality Business Park in Cavan town and is exploring the possibility of developing a new park in Monaghan.

I am confident that the strategies and policies being pursued by the agencies together with the ongoing commitment by Government to regional development and the National Development Plan will bear fruit in terms of investment and jobs for the people of Cavan and Monaghan and the Border region as a whole.