Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts made in 2006 to attract investment into South Tipperary; and the action taken in relation to finding a tenant for a factory (details supplied) in Tipperary Town. [42357/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland is the agency with statutory responsibility for the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and its regions. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency under the Industrial Development Acts, I am precluded from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

For an area to successfully compete with other locations, nationally and internationally, in attracting sustainable foreign investment it is vital that the requirements of potential investors are met. It is the investor who ultimately decides where to locate. What they are indicating to IDA is that they are seeking an urban base close to third level educational facilities that provides infrastructure and services that are international in focus. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) provides a framework for meeting these requirements through the prioritisation of investment in the Gateway and Hub locations. A key task for IDA Ireland is the achievement of balanced regional development in tandem with the NSS.

IDA Ireland's strategy for Tipperary is to primarily concentrate future economic development in Clonmel and to develop the town as a first-class location for overseas investment. This strategy has been agreed with the South Tipperary County Development Board and is already achieving results. Last September, I was pleased to officially open a €90 million high-value drug-eluting stent manufacturing operation for Abbott Vascular, one of the world's leading healthcare companies. The expansion involves 500 new jobs.

Following discussions with South Tipperary Co. Council, IDA Ireland purchased circa 50 acres of land in the Council owned Ballingarrane Estate in Clonmel to develop a Business and Technology Park. The future development of the Ballingarrane Estate in Clonmel, incorporating the IDA Business Park and Tipperary Institute of Technology, will be a key asset in attracting further overseas investment into the County.

While the primary focus of IDA activities is on promoting and marketing Clonmel, the Agency continues to promote all available facilities in the County, including its 10 acre serviced site at Knockenrawley in Tipperary Town, which has been upgraded to a Business Park. A 16,000 sq ft advance factory (BES funded) has been constructed on the park and IDA continues to actively promote this advance manufacturing facility through their network of overseas offices. In marketing Tipperary for new foreign direct investment, IDA Ireland is focused on attracting overseas companies in the services and knowledge based industries (including advanced manufacturing). Key sectors of focus for IDA in Tipperary are international services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

I am satisfied that the policies and strategies being pursued by IDA Ireland are the most appropriate ones to attract and grow foreign direct investment in the County and that these will, in turn, contribute to balanced regional development and the growth of sustainable, quality employment into the future.