Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the most recent figures for the number of persons working here with a breakdown of the figures in relation to the different sectors involved; and the locations where the IDA supported new jobs in 2006. [2641/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There are 2,073,300 people in employment as published by the CSO in the latest Quarterly National Household Survey (June-August 2006). The breakdown by economic sector is set out in the table below.

In 2006 there were a total number of 135,487 people permanently employed in IDA Ireland grant assisted companies. This included 11,846 new jobs.

The break down of new jobs by IDA Ireland Region in 2006 is as follows:

Central to IDA Ireland's activities is it's commitment to achieving the best possible regional balance in investments. In 2006 almost 60% of new Greenfield projects and 6 out of every 7 R&D investments (or 85%) took place outside Dublin, with a wide geographical spread of high quality investments.

The challenge of a good regional spread of investments increases as the higher value parts of the business value chains are targeted for Ireland. The need for a critical mass of suitably qualified talent, supporting infrastructure and sophisticated business services can then draw investors towards cities and regions of scale. For most of the investment IDA Ireland competes for, the competition is from city regions with a population base of over a million people. In Ireland, only Dublin has a population of this size. For this reason, every location in Ireland has to think and act regionally, rather than locally, if it wishes to succeed. The National Spatial Strategy sets out the framework for development in this way and needs to be actively embraced and followed by all economic and social parties.

IDA Ireland has significantly raised the potential for regions to prosper by implementing a national programme of investment in the vital infrastructure of business park development and the provision of sites for major projects. In 2006 major construction work was undertaken in Oranmore, Co. Galway and Dundalk, Co. Louth on utility-intensive sites. IDA Ireland also obtained planning permission for a huge integrated circuit development at Grange Castle, Clondalkin, Co. Dublin, which is now being marketed globally.