Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs in each of the past five years that have been supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency in towns in County Donegal outside of Letterkenny in tabular form. [9022/12]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs in each of the past five years that have been supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency in Letterkenny, County Donegal, in tabular form. [9023/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 106 together.

Enterprise Ireland monitors the employment trends in the companies it supports through the Annual Employment Survey, conducted in conjunction with Forfás. The results of this survey are released each January. This information is collected at county level and it is not possible to provide it with a geographical breakdown within the county. However, data on employment in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland in County Donegal over the last five years is outlined in the tabular statement below.

One of the targets in IDA Ireland's strategy document 'Horizon 2020' is the creation of 62,000 direct jobs in 640 investment projects over the period 2010-2014, resulting in an additional 105,000 jobs overall in the economy, with 50% of these investments to be based in locations outside of Dublin and Cork. Central to IDA's strategy is to build on existing regional strengths to ensure Ireland's economic development, while optimising regional spread, in line with the National Spatial Strategy.

To achieve balanced regional development, IDA Ireland markets the Gateway locations within each Region as areas of critical mass and highlights the opportunities provided by Hub locations which are within commuting distance of these Gateways. In the North West, IDA prioritises the promotion of Letterkenny and Sligo. As well as marketing the region for new Greenfield investment, IDA Ireland continues to work with existing clients in encouraging them to broaden their mandate and to continue to re-invest in their sites within the region.

In the North West Region, IDA has 36 existing client companies employing over 5,300 people. Data on employment in IDA supported companies is provided on a county basis, not by individual towns. Employment data for IDA supported companies over the past five years is shown in the tabular statement below.

Employment in Enterprise Ireland-aided companies in County Donegal

(Source Forfás Employment Survey– 2011)

Employment in IDA Supported Companies in County Donegal