Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide statistics on the number of site visits for potential investors arranged by the Industrial Development Agency to Dublin 10 from 2002 to 2012. [51236/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that the data on site visits by potential investors is tracked on a regional basis.

Dublin 10, as part of Dublin City, is the only gateway in the East Region. IDA’s East Region consists of Counties Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath.

I am informed that in the period from the 2003 to date, there have been a total of 1109 site visits to that region, the majority of which would have been to the Greater Dublin area. Details of the number of site visits to the Region in each of the years 2003 to 2012 are set out in the following tabular statement. The agency has informed me that details on site visits for 2002 are not available.

Dublin is a spectacular success in terms of Foreign Direct Investment as it hosts many of the world’s leading companies such as Google, eBay, PayPal, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Oracle, Pfizer, Amgen, IBM, Citi and Accenture. There are 492 IDA client companies employing 51,910 people in permanent employment and a further 5,075 in part-time and contract positions across a range a business sectors and activities in Dublin City and County.

While, globally, the outlook for FDI continues to be challenging, IDA Ireland has assured me that there are still investment opportunities to be won in global markets. Accordingly, the Agency continues to compete vigorously for such projects for Ireland and, as part of that process, continues to promote Dublin City and County including Dublin 10 for suitable investment.

However, while IDA tries to influence the location of investments, the final decision on where to locate is taken in all case by the investor.

Table showing the number of site visits by potential investors to the East Region in each of the years 2003 to 2012.