Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the policies and strategies that have been formed to prioritise job creation and inward investment in north Tipperary following a delegation from the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment to Tipperary in January 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19177/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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State support for enterprise and job creation is channelled through the industrial development agencies. While I may give general policy directives to the agencies, I am precluded under the Acts from giving directives regarding individual undertakings, or from giving preference to one area over others.

The development agencies under the remit of my Department, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development and the County Enterprise Boards work together to address industrial development in Tipperary North. At the end of 2007, the latest date for which figures are available, there were a total of 3,794 people employed in state supported companies in north Tipperary.

Shannon Development, which has responsibility for the provision of tailored property solutions for both foreign direct investment (FDI) and indigenous industry in north Tipperary , is particularly active in the area. It has submitted a planning application for a new building at the Tipperary Technology Park in Thurles and is also in the process of developing a Master Plan for a 60 acre site at Archerstown adjacent to Thurles. Elsewhere in the County, the Roscrea Business and Technology Park will be officially launched on May 19th, while a new Business Park is being planned for Templemore. In addition, a revised Master Plan for Lisbunny Business Park in Nenagh is under way.

Enterprise Ireland's job creation activity is focused on the creation of new jobs through supporting entrepreneurs setting up new High Potential Start-Up companies, the retention and creation of new jobs in existing companies and in enhancing the innovation capability of Ireland at a national and regional level through support of research in companies and third level institutions. As part of an initiative to encourage new start-ups in north Tipperary, Enterprise Ireland is currently running an Entrepreneurship awareness raising campaign via promotional billboards strategically located through north Tipperary. In addition, a series of Entrepreneurship workshops are scheduled for May 2008 to promote the notion of entrepreneurship as a career option and to provide information and support locally for interested individuals. Furthermore, a series of information evenings targeted at community development groups in north Tipperary will commence in early June 2008 to promote and provide information and case-studies to potential applicants under the 2nd tranche of the 2007-2009 CEC scheme which was launched in April 2008.

Meanwhile, the Tipperary North County Enterprise Board continues to support Micro businesses in the region and, during 2007, paid out over a quarter of a million euro in support of 25 projects.

In line with the National Spatial Strategy, IDA Ireland is committed to balanced regional development and the development of Tipperary North as part of the Mid-West region. The attractiveness of north Tipperary for inward investment has to be seen within a regional context, and particularly by reference to Shannon Airport, its proximity to Limerick and Cork and to its location along the corridors of Limerick/Dublin and Cork/Dublin. IDA's strategy for the area aims to attract new FDI in innovation driven, high value, high skills sectors. The Agency continues to work with their existing company base to encourage them to expand their presence in the area by the addition of increased functions of scale and increased strategic functions.

I am satisfied that the policies being pursued by Government, together with the work of the agencies on the ground as well as the roll out of the National Development Plan will continue to provide investment and job creation in Tipperary North and in the region as a whole. However, in the final analysis it is the investor who decides where to locate.