Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 2: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of inward investment visits carried out in each of the two counties of Cavan and Monaghan over the past 12 months; if she is satisfied herself sufficient efforts are being made to create employment in these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14790/09]

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 (FDI) 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.

I have been informed by the Agency that, over the past 12 months, there has been one site visit by potential investors to Cavan and there have been no site visits to Monaghan. While IDA Ireland can and does encourage clients to visit particular locations, the final decision on where to visit or locate is taken in all cases by the clients.

Through its network of overseas offices, IDA Ireland is actively marketing the counties of Monaghan and Cavan for new and expansion investments across a wide range of sectors. In line with the National Spatial Strategy, the Agency is concentrating on the hub towns of Cavan and Monaghan.

In the case of Cavan, IDA is working to secure new investment in the medical devices area for Cavan Town as it believes that the town is particularly suited to such a sector.

IDA Ireland is currently planning to have a new 25,000 sq ft state of the art advanced technology building erected on its Cavan Business Park, to attract new inward investment. In addition IDA is actively promoting fully serviced sites for new Greenfield investments on its 40 acre fully serviced Park.

As regards Monaghan, The Agency is promoting its Business Park in Monaghan Town for new knowledge intensive inward investment. The completion of the new Monaghan by-pass has vastly improved access to the existing IDA Park and the ongoing work on the N2 is improving access to Dublin Airport and city. This continues to add to the attractiveness of the location for new inward investment.

In the present competitive global market, as Ireland competes for new investments at the highest end of the value chain, the concept of scale is crucial to our economic destiny. Leading corporations require a significant population of highly qualified talent, effective physical and digital infrastructure coupled with availability of sophisticated professional support services. If we are to continue being successful in realising a large proportion of our investments outside of the larger cities, all economic and social stakeholders will need to adhere to the framework on which the NSS is constructed. IDA has in recent years set a high level target to deliver in excess of 60% of investments outside the Greater Dublin Area. In 2008 this target was achieved.