Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 538 of 26 September 2007, if he will instruct the IDA to release information requested in view of the fact that it is not sensitive information; and if the query raised will be answered in full. [24926/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The management of IDA Ireland's industrial property portfolio is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function. As I have previously stated in my reply on 26th September, for commercial reasons, and in order to protect IDA's negotiating position in relation to any similar properties it is not appropriate for information on the commercial terms agreed by the Agency with the owner regarding the termination the lease to be divulged. In the circumstances, I am sure you will agree that it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in this matter.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA supported jobs created in 2005, 2006 and to date in 2007 on a county basis; and if the IDA is still adhering to its target of 50% of backed jobs to be in the Border Midlands Western region. [24936/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Forfás Annual Employment Survey records jobs gained and lost in companies supported by the Industrial Development Agencies. Data is compiled on an annualized basis and is aggregated at county level. Data in relation to 2007 will not be available until mid 2008. The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the years 2005 and 2006 is set out in the attached tabular statement.

For the duration of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 IDA Ireland committed itself to trying to achieve a target of 50% of all new Greenfield jobs to be located in the Objective 1 (BMW) Area. Despite difficult global trading conditions, substantial progress has been achieved against this target. In the period 2000-2006, 36% of all new Greenfield jobs were located in the BMW (Objective 1) Area, whereas in 1999 about 25% of all new Greenfield jobs were locating in the BMW Area. Under the current NDP the IDA Ireland approach will be to pursue a Gateway approach to regional economic development consistent with, and supportive of, the National Spatial Strategy. The challenge of achieving 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 tend to draw investors towards cities and regions of scale.

For most investments for which IDA competes, 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 embraced actively and followed by all economic and social parties. Ultimately, decisions regarding where to locate a project are taken by investors based on a variety of criteria and on the capability of any particular location to support their business needs.

Table setting out the number of new jobs created in IDA supported companies in each of the years 2005- 2006