Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the recent contacts with companies in the United States to promote Ireland as a suitable destination for investment; the level of jobs that have been created here by US companies over the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8300/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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IDA Ireland is the statutory agency charged with the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to this country. The agency has four offices in the United States — New York, Atlanta, Chicago and California, through which it continuously markets this country to potential investors for either first time or expansionary investment.

In the past 12 months I have visited the United States four times in support of IDA Ireland's marketing campaign. During 2006, I went to the West Coast in February, to New York in July, and to the Mid West in November. Last month, I again visited New York.

These visits involved meeting Chairs, CEOs and other senior executives of key companies in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technologies, Information & Communications Technology and other leading sectors that IDA Ireland are targeting for new or expansion projects.

Many of the companies visited already have substantial and valuable activities in Ireland while others are considering major investments here for the first time.

The meetings confirmed the high standing in which Ireland is viewed as a business location by leading global companies and the importance of the steps being taken by Government to strengthen research, education capabilities and infrastructure, while retaining the flexibility and responsiveness of Ireland's operating environment and tax regime.

At present there are 95,515 permanent jobs in US companies in Ireland. Details of the number of new jobs created in U.S. companies in Ireland in each of the past 10 years are set out in the following tabular statement.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 353: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the mechanism in place to encourage regional development; the evaluation that has been carried out on regional development over recent years; the areas that have been identified as requiring further investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8301/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and the National development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 are the principal mechanisms in place to facilitate and encourage regional development. Overall responsibility for the NSS rests with my colleague Mr. Dick Roche T.D. Minister for the Environment and Local Government and overall responsibility for the NDP rests with my colleague Mr. Brian Cowen T.D. Minister for Finance.

In so far as the industrial development agencies under the aegis of my Department are concerned, their strategies are closely aligned with the NSS and they are actively working with a wide range of players at both county and regional levels to maximise the attractiveness of regional locations for new investment. While Enterprise Ireland's role in encouraging and facilitating indigenous industry is demand-lead, IDA Ireland has a marketing role in relation to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Shannon Development is responsible for regional economic development in the Mid-West region.

Balanced regional development has been a major policy issue for Government for many years. The objective of IDA's regional strategy has at all times been to facilitate the implementation of the goals and objectives of Government in this area. The Agency's regional plans take account of the locational behaviour and requirements of the next generation of FDI projects, infrastructure capacities, the importance of building critical mass, and leveraging the advantages of existing sectoral clusters. IDA Ireland's main focus will be to attract projects which, while they may be located close to larger urban areas e.g. the Gateways and Hubs, will make a positive contribution to the development of the surrounding rural communities.

IDA 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. The Agency has made significant investment in the development of strategic utility-intensive sites in Waterford, Cork, Galway and Louth. It is proposed that this initiative will be rolled out further under the new NDP. The success of the Agency's strategy is evidenced, for example, by the fact that in 2006 alone there were 89 new investment projects, including 46 R&D investments, located outside of Dublin.

IDA Ireland policy with regard to regional development and the management of its property programme has evolved over decades in response to the changing market demands of FDI. In the 1970's the prevailing view was that advance factories should be available in a wide variety of locations throughout the country whereas the current approach involves closer alignment with the NSS. The challenge for the Agency is to build on Ireland's reputation globally as a location for advanced manufacturing, sophisticated business services and, increasingly, for leading research and innovation.