Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA itineraries that have visited Kildare south constituency in each of the past five years; the results of such visits; the areas of the constituency visited; if the areas that the IDA has sites were visited; if there are outstanding issues in relation to such visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35706/07]

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 to Ireland and its regions. The marketing of individual areas, for new or expansion FDI investments and jobs is a day-to-day operational matter for the Agency. While I may give general policy directives to the Agency, I am precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings or from giving preference to one area over others.

I have been informed by the Agency that, from 2003 to date in 2007, there have been a total of 5 site visits by prospective investors to towns in County Kildare. During the course of an itinerary all potential sites, including sites owned by IDA Ireland, would be brought to the attention of prospective clients. Details of these visits are set out in the attached tabular statement. To date, no investment has resulted from these visits.

Over the past 5 years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for Kildare has been to promote the County as part of an integrated East Region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. The East Region offers foreign direct investors a global gateway and benefits from almost half of all employment in IDA supported companies.

In recent years Kildare has attracted some world class manufacturing companies such as Intel, Wyeth Medica, Braun Oral B and Hewlett Packard. At the end of December 2006, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 24 IDA supported companies in Kildare employing approximately 10,310 people.

In October 2007, Wyeth Medica in Newbridge announced a €24m R&D project which will enhance the quality of products within the plant. Another significant development, announced earlier this year, has been the decision by Tegral to relocate to a Greenfield site. Within the Tegral Group, Athy is seen by the parent company as being efficient, competitive and worthy of new investment. Also the decision by Coca-Cola to increase the job numbers in Athy International Concentrates is most welcome.

I am satisfied that the strategies being pursued by the Agency together with the roll out of the National Development Plan will continue to bear fruit in terms of investment and job creation for the people of Kildare.