Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress the Industrial Development Agency has made in achieving the aims of the Horizon 2020 strategy; the efforts being made to achieve those aims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9355/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with its “Horizon 2020” Strategy, IDA Ireland is aiming to create 62,000 new jobs, giving a total impact of 105,000 jobs, over the period 2010 to 2014. The Agency is also aiming to secure 640 investments, with 50% of these located outside of Dublin and Cork.

I am pleased that IDA Ireland is making good progress in implementing its Strategy. Over the last three years, the Agency has secured 419 investments and delivered 36,000 gross jobs. While the objective of securing 50% of investments outside of Dublin and Cork is proving particularly challenging, it must be acknowledged that, during 2012, a number of IDA client companies made significant investments in regional locations as follows: Paypal, 1,000 jobs in Dundalk; Abbott, 175 jobs in Sligo; Mylan, 200 jobs in Galway; Allergan, 200 jobs in Westport; and Northern Trust, 400 jobs in Limerick. Last week saw another significant announcement for Dundalk with e Bay announcing 450 jobs in Dundalk.

IDA Ireland has assured me that it will continue to work towards achieving its target of creating a further 12,000 jobs in 2013. A range of actions to support the achievement of this objective will be taken by the Agency this year in the context of the Government’s 2013 Action Plan for Jobs, details of which will be announced shortly.

In order to ensure that Ireland can continue to compete globally for foreign direct investment, it will be necessary to undertake an in depth analysis of our FDI strategy with a view to informing the formulation of an appropriate strategy for the period post 2014. This analysis, which will be undertaken later this year, will take account of factors such as key trends emerging in FDI best practice internationally, Ireland’s strengths in attracting FDI, any changes to the EU’s State Aid rules that may be introduced in the near future and our agreed approach to regional development.