Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored site visits to Dublin on an annual basis since 2008 and of those that visited Dublin, the number that also visited Cork. [41116/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Details of the number of site visits by potential investors to locations in Dublin and Cork on an annual basis since 2008 are set out in the attached tabular statement. I am informed by IDA Ireland that the Agency does not have the facility to a provide an instant cross reference of site visits for companies that have visited both Dublin and Cork.

IDA Ireland’s strategy document, entitled “Horizon 2020”, sets out the Agency’s targets for the period 2010 to 2014. The investment targets set out in this strategy include the creation of 63,000 new jobs in Ireland during that period and also includes a target securing 50% of these investments in locations outside of Dublin and Cork.

The global economy and in particular the European economy, which is the primary target market for FDI clients in Ireland, is in a low growth phase. The challenge for IDA Ireland is to win FDI in this low growth environment. As Ireland competes for high quality investments, however, 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, so, in order to achieve economic regional development, IDA Ireland 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. The Agency has assured me that it also promotes other locations as part of its marketing efforts in response to specific client requirements.

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 investor.

Number of site visits by Potential IDA Ireland Client Companies to Dublin and Cork over the Period 2006- 2012