Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 637: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of land owned by the IDA and Enterprise Ireland in Cork east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1349/08]

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, as part of the statutory responsibility assigned to it by the Oireachtas and it is not a matter in which I have a function.

I understand from IDA that it owns a total of 273.6 hectares of promotable land in the area of East Cork. Enterprise Ireland does not own land for industrial purposes but does own the site on which its Cork office is built. That total site area, including buildings, is 14,190m2.

IDA Ireland is actively promoting the greater East Cork region to prospective investors across the full range of IDA targeted sectors, such as Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technologies, Information and Communications Technologies and Internationally Traded Services via its network of overseas offices and project divisions. The area has benefited greatly in recent times from investment in these sectors.

IDA has seen the emergence of an economic corridor along the N25 with the initial development of Little Island many years ago followed by new developments at Eastgate, Fota Business Park, Carrigtwohill and Midleton. IDA has also been instrumental in attracting additional client investment to the area with the development of the IDA Business and Technology Park in Carrigtwohill. More recently, Apex, a fund administration financial services company, announced their decision to locate in Midleton with the creation of 40 jobs. IDA Ireland has found that the availability of quality property solutions in the East Cork area has proved attractive to visiting IDA clients.

IDA Ireland is committed to securing additional new projects for the East Cork area and is promoting the area to potential investors on an on-going basis.