Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts he has made through his Department, or a State agency related to it, to encourage industry into the Border regions, in particular Counties Cavan and Monaghan; his views on whether, in recent years particularly with the successful settlement in Northern Ireland, in the case of County Monaghan in particular, with the virtually completed restructuring of the N2 to Monaghan Town and with the provision of leisure facilities and good hotels there is no excuse that towns such as Monaghan, Clones, Ballybay or Castleblayney should not be as attractive as anywhere else in the country for high tech employment; if he will provide a commitment to re-energise the organisations to ensure that the Border regions receive a fair opportunity in view of the historic deficit in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25363/07]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The marketing of the regions for job creation and investment is a day-to-day operational matter for the development agencies and while I may give general policy directives to agencies, I am precluded under the Industrial Development Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

Through its network of overseas offices, IDA Ireland is actively marketing the counties of Monaghan and Cavan for new and expansion investments. In line with the National Spatial Strategy, the Agency is concentrating on the hub towns of Cavan and Monaghan.

In the case of Cavan, IDA is working to secure new investment in the medical devices area for Cavan Town as it believes that the town is particularly suited to such a sector.

As regards Monaghan, the Agency is promoting its Business Park in Monaghan Town for new knowledge intensive inward investment. The completion of the new Monaghan by-pass has vastly improved access to the existing IDA Park and the ongoing work on the N2 is improving access to Dublin Airport and city. This, combined with the ongoing improvements to the Town's shopping and recreational facilities, continues to add to the attractiveness of the location for new inward investment.

Enterprise Ireland is committed to delivering on its regional mandate and continues to support the development of entrepreneurship in the region in collaboration with other State agencies and educational establishments. In addition E.I. is working strategically with Invest Northern Ireland and Intertrade Ireland for the benefit of their client companies.

Enterprise Ireland currently works with 138 client companies in County Monaghan, which employ a total of 4,695 people, while in County Cavan the Agency works with 96 client companies employing 6,590 people.

In January of this year, Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI secured funding from the Special EU Programmes Body for a Cross Border Enterprise Incubation Programme, which is known as the Transform Programme. This Programme, which commenced on 11th September, is a nine month full time programme intended for potential entrepreneurs who wish to set up a new export orientated knowledge intensive business. The Programme covers the six Counties in the Border Region of the Republic of Ireland and the six Counties of Northern Ireland.

Cavan and Monaghan County Enterprise Boards also play an role in the development of indigenous enterprise in the micro sector in the Border region. This support is available through both direct financial assistance and non-financial assistance. In 2006 Cavan and Monaghan CEBs paid over €497,000 in grant aid and assisted in the creation of 222 net jobs in the two counties.

All of the development agencies are committed to a pro-active approach to balanced regional development as outlined in the National Development Plan and I am confident that the policies in place are the correct ones to deliver sustainable investment and jobs for the region.