Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are itineraries planned by any of the State agencies under her remit to visit Kildare south in the next six months; if the contacts made by her or her Department created or met on any of the trade missions that she led or was part of since she came into her Ministry, are part of any of the itineraries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46824/08]

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, including Kildare, 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 travel abroad on missions organised by IDA Ireland to assist the Agency in the attraction of foreign direct investment to this country. These visits are targeted at specific sectors and do result, in some cases, in follow up visits by foreign companies to this country. The arrangement of such itineraries, is a day to day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function. In the final analysis, it is the investing company, who decides where to invest and where to visit. However I have been informed by IDA Ireland that there have been 2 IDA sponsored itineraries to Kildare during 2008.

I also travel on trade missions abroad that are organised by Enterprise Ireland. The aim of these visits is to promote the exports of goods and services produced in this country into foreign markets and to thereby grow indigenous Irish firms.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 165: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if progress has been made or if meetings have taken place between the Industrial Development Authority and Kildare County Council in relation to the sale or leasing of the vacant IDA lands in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46825/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, 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 the Minister of the day has any involvement.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that, at present, the Agency has approximately 2.27 hectares remaining available in Monasterevin, approximately 1.77 hectares remaining available in Athy, (Woodstock), and approximately 1.53 hectares remaining available in Castledermot. I understand that the Board of IDA approved the sale of all these lands to Kildare County Council at its Board meeting on April 9th 2003. However, this transaction was never finalised due to a failure in negotiations.

The Agency also has approximately 1.72 hectares available in Tipper Road Naas

IDA is currently reviewing the future use of all these lands. As part of this review, in November 2008 IDA had meetings with Kildare County Council to determine their interest in the acquisition of these lands. At present these discussions are ongoing pending a review of the current land prices.