Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the lobbying mechanisms that have been utilised by State agencies to attract new businesses to a building (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14542/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The marketing of individual properties for new or expansion investment is a day-to-day operational matter for IDA, as part of the statutory responsibilities assigned to it by the Oireachtas.

I have been informed by IDA that the Agency promotes a variety of property solutions in Fermoy, including the Mill Island office facility, as part of its marketing strategy to secure valuable investment for the North Cork area.

In relation to the Mill Island facility in particular, IDA Ireland had discussions with the owners and sent an IDA representative to view the facility to assess its suitability for IDA client use. As a result, IDA Ireland has listed the facility in its property portfolio of available office premises in County Cork and actively promotes the facility in response to specific client queries. IDA has assured me that it will continue to promote the facility but have stressed that it is also important the owners of the Mill Island facility and other interested stakeholders instigate their own marketing programme to promote the facility as widely as possible.

While IDA strives to attract companies across the full range of targeted sectors, it should be noted that different industry sectors have different property requirements and in the final analysis it is the investor who decides where to locate.