Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will outline in comprehensive detail, the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits to Mullingar, Athlone, County Westmeath and County Longford on an annual basis since 2010 by potential investors; if he will further outline the number of these visits that ultimately led to a positive decision by the visiting industrialists to locate an industry in any of the foregoing towns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4426/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA that in the 3 year period 2010 to 2012 there were a total of 44 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to Co Westmeath but there were no such visits to Co Longford. Arising from these site visits there were a total of 4 company announcements in 2011 with the potential to create 250 jobs together with a €25m investment in R&D. Details of the number of site visits in each year and the company announcements in respect of each county are set out in the attached tabular statement.

The challenge facing IDA is to continue to win top quality investment for Ireland in a very difficult market place. International competition for FDI has become extremely intense and continues to increase. The Agency has indicated that, in seeking to achieve balanced regional development and the broader goal of securing new FDI projects for Ireland in a very competitive global environment, the concept of scale is crucial. Leading global corporations require a significant population pool, access to qualified talent, world class physical and digital infrastructure as well as the availability of sophisticated professional and business support services. Ireland has only one such Region, the Greater Dublin area. In its efforts to achieve balanced regional economic development, IDA prioritises the marketing of its Gateway locations within each Region as the locations of critical mass and highlights the opportunities provided by other locations on an opportunistic basis, which are within commuting distances of these Gateways.

Both Longford and Westmeath form part of IDA’s Midland Region, together with Counties Laois, Offaly and Roscommon. In that region IDA priorities the marketing of the linked gateway of Athlone/ Tullamore/ Mullingar. In addition, the Agency promotes Longford, Portlaoise and Roscommon as part of its wider marketing efforts and in response to specific client requests. When arranging itineraries for potential investors, the normal practice for IDA is to show the company three or four locations within a 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.

At present in the Midlands Region there are 44 IDA client companies employing over 5,000 people in total, of which more than half are located in Longford and Westmeath. There are 24 IDA client companies located in Longford and Westmeath and employing 2,884. With the improved infrastructure that is now in place, a significant number of people commute within the Midlands Region and a project win in one Midlands location has a positive impact on the other surrounding areas. In view of the concerns that have been expressed to me by Deputies on all sides of the house about the lack of site visits to certain regional locations, I propose to discuss this problem with IDA in the coming weeks.

Table showing the number of IDA sponsored site visits to counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2010 to 2012

Table showing the number of investment announcements arising from site visits in County Westmeath