Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide on a county basis a breakdown of the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits for each year since 2007 to date in 2012; and if he will explain the IDA's strategy to ensure there is an equitable distribution of visits among counties. [29338/12]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the context of the Industrial Development Agency's Horizon 2020 strategy and the target that 50% of investments will be located outside Dublin and Cork, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of IDA sponsored visits to Dublin which also visited Cork and the number of IDA sponsored visits to Cork which also visited Dublin since 2006. [29339/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together.

Details of the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to each county in each of the years 2006 to the end of May 2012 are set out in the following tabular statement. I am informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency does not maintain records in such a way that would enable it to provide an instant cross reference of locations visited by individual companies.

As Ireland competes for high quality investments, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading global corporations require a significant population pool, access to qualified talent, world standard physical and digital infrastructure coupled with the availability of sophisticated professional and business support services. Ireland has only one Metro Region, the Greater Dublin area. In order to achieve regional economic development, IDA prioritises the marketing of Gateway locations within each Region as the locations of critical mass, i.e. sufficient scale of population, skills, infrastructure, companies, business services etc., and highlights the opportunities provided by Hub locations which are within commuting distances of these Gateways. In addition, IDA Ireland promotes other locations as part of its marketing efforts and in response to specific client requirements.

With continuing enhancement and improvements in physical and digital infrastructure, a foreign direct investment (FDI) project secured for one Gateway Economic Region has a positive impact on other Gateway Economic Regions and surrounding areas. A relevant example of this is the recent announcement by PayPal who will create c. 1,000 new jobs over the next 4 years in Dundalk. This investment will have a positive economic impact directly and indirectly (job creation & expenditure), not only in the North East Economic Region, but also in other Economic Regions such as the East Economic Region and the Midlands Economic Region.

The provision of flexible and cost effective property and infrastructural solutions has also been a key aspect in developing differentiating regional value propositions and attracting FDI into Gateway Economic Regions. In marketing potential locations for a site visit to clients, IDA Ireland has to be credible and competitive in its approach, in the face of stiff international competition for mobile FDI i.e. locations must meet the criteria of the client company in respect of skills, labour, site and/or buildings, infrastructure, etc. Typically, a company is shown three or four locations within a Gateway Economic Region that can meet its requirements and, in certain cases, other locations are visited on an opportunistic basis. In selecting locations to market to client companies, IDA Ireland endeavours to include locations which have been affected by closures/job losses. Whilst IDA Ireland seeks to influence the selection of a location, the final decision on where to locate is taken in all cases by the client company.

Table showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential clients in the period 2006 to end May 2012