Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation the action he has taken to create employment in the Tallaght region, Dublin 24; if his attention has been drawn to the need for such initiatives in view of the rise in jobless figures in Tallaght; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19219/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Enterprise Ireland continues to work closely with the other Government agencies and South Dublin County Enterprise Board towards job creation in Tallaght. Since 2008, Enterprise Ireland has approved €29 million approximately and made payments of €19,284,627 to client companies in the Tallaght and South Dublin region. In addition, the agency is offering a range of New Funding Supports this year including:

· The Job Expansion Scheme

· Lean Initiative Programme

· New Market Research Programme

· Key Manager Grants

· Continuation of the ESF

The objective of the Job Expansion Scheme is to help Enterprise Ireland client companies achieve increased employment through increased sales and international trade. This will be a competitive fund and three calls for proposals will be advertised during 2010. To promote Innovation and Competitiveness, Enterprise Ireland in 2010 will roll out a Lean Initiative Programme. This initiative will cover supports ranging from small consultancy supports to transformational organisational programmes to companies in established manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. The New Market Research Programme provides grant aid for established companies planning a market research programme to develop new market opportunities. Also, the agency's new Key Manager Grant is available to client companies. The grant provides grant support towards employing a key Manager. The grant provides support for up to a maximum duration of 1 year and the maximum salary is €80,000 with rates of 50%, 40% and 30% for small, medium and large companies respectively.

During 2010, South Dublin CEB will continue to support enterprise development in the area through the provision of both direct and indirect assistance and will ensure that available funds are targeted to maximise entrepreneurial development.

Over the past 5 years, IDA Ireland's focused strategy for South Dublin, including Tallaght, has been to promote the County as part of an integrated East Region with access to a population base of 1.5 million people. Tallaght and South County Dublin are well equipped to compete with other areas for potential foreign direct investment, with superb infrastructural facilities at Citywest and Grange Castle, and a third level Institute of Technology at Tallaght. Both of these business parks are easily accessible to the population of Tallaght and the environs.

Grange Castle Business Park, close to Clondalkin, is being developed by South Dublin County Council as a world-class business park. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc (formerly Wyeth Biopharma) has established the world's largest biopharma campus facility and invested €1.8 billion and currently employs approximately 1,300 highly skilled people. It is envisaged that Grange Castle Business Park will attract a cluster of pharmaceutical and biotechnology developments at the leading edge of technology. Planning Permission has also been approved for an Advance Integrated Circuit Manufacturing and Research facility at Grange Castle. This will be an invaluable tool for the future marketing of Grange Castle as a potential source of high quality and large-scale employment for the area. With a clustering of IT projects taking place at the National Digital Park, South Dublin has the potential to become home to a number of projects at the top end of the value chain, providing employment for highly trained and highly qualified workers.