Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 309: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of visiting industrial and commercial itineraries internationally and nationally organised by the Industrial Development Authority that have visited sites in each county for each of the past five years; the results of each visit; the number of employment opportunities created; the cost or grants paid by the IDA in assisting to create such opportunities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21192/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, 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 am informed by the Agency that in the 5-year period from 2003 to 2007, there have been a total of 1329 site visits by foreign investors to various locations around Ireland. Details of these site visits are set out in Tabular Statement 1.

It is not possible, in the time available, to indicate the results of each of these individual site visits. However, in the same 5-year period (2003-2007) there have been 78 announcements by foreign investors establishing Greenfield investments in this country, with a potential to create 12,405 jobs. Details of those announcements are set out in Tabular Statement 2.

In the period 2003 to 2006 IDA Ireland paid out a total of €347,047,723 in grant payments to its client companies. Details of grant payments in each of those years are set out in Tabular Statement 3. Figures of grant payments for the year 2007 will not be available until the publication of the IDA's Annual Report later this year.