Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of site visits carried out by the Industrial Development Authority to site locations in Ballina, Castlebar and Westport, County Mayo in the past 12 months; if negotiations are being conducted with potential investors as a consequence. [41744/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by IDA Ireland that in the period from 1st November 2008 to date in 2009 there has been one site visit by a potential investor to Ballina, Co. Mayo. There have been no such visits to Castlebar or Westport. I am also informed that there are no on-going discussions between IDA and this particular company consequent upon that visit. While IDA Ireland encourages clients to visit particular locations, the final decision on where to visit or locate is taken in all cases by the clients.

The IDA has a network of world-class Business & Technology Parks in Mayo. These parks are fully serviced with all the necessary telecommunications and utilities infrastructure to cater for the needs of overseas clients. In addition, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) provides the area with a local source of academic and technical/research expertise. There are over 70 overseas companies with operations in the West region, as a whole, employing over 14,000 people. Their sectoral focus includes life sciences (predominantly medical technologies) accounting for 63% of IDA client company employment, information & communication technologies with 19%, engineering and consumer goods with 14% and international financial services with 4%.