Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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522. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will outline on a county basis the total number of Industrial Development Agency visits to each county in 2012 and to the end of July 2013; in the case of the 2012 figures if he will outline on a county basis the number of those visits that resulted in an investment being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38290/13]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Details of the number of IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors on a county basis from January 2012 to the end of August 2013 are set out in the tabular statement. These site visits were from new companies visiting the locations for the first time and from senior executives of existing companies. In 2012, IDA Ireland secured a total of 145 investments which resulted in the creation of 12,722 jobs. However, it should be noted that jobs announced in 2012 are typically created over a period of three to five years.

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.

I am mindful that, in order to ensure that Ireland can continue to compete globally for FDI projects, 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.

In the meantime, IDA Ireland has assured me that it is continuing in 2013, in accordance with the Government’s 2013 Action Plan for Jobs, to target more than 130 new investments, secure €500 million of R&D expenditure and create 13,000 new jobs in its client companies.

Table showing the number of site visits on a County basis for 2012 to the end of August 2013