Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

96. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland plan to highlight Kerry's new investment aid status from July 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22113/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Regional Aid Guidelines enable the State to grant State Aid, at enhanced rates, to businesses in order to support new investment and new employment in productive projects in Ireland's most disadvantaged regions. This helps the convergence of these regions with the more advantaged regions of the Union. Regional aid is also provided under schemes for tourism grants, marine tourism, urban and rural renewal and other tax-based development schemes. All such aid come from the exchequer, i.e. there is no EU or other external funding.

The 2014-2020 Regional Aid Guidelines enter into force on 01 July 2014. As I announced on 25 April, areas accounting for 51.28% of Ireland’s population will be eligible for assistance under the Regional Aid Guidelines. This represents a substantial increase from the 25% originally proposed by the Commission, and an increase from the 50% under the 2007-2013 Map.

This means that the full range of Regional Aid assistance options will also now be available in Kerry. Kells and Arklow can be added to the areas designated under the current map, Athy has also been added to the upcoming 2014-2020 Regional Aid Map, with the exception of one Electoral District which was excluded from the designated map in order to ensure Ireland adhered to its overall allocated national coverage of 51.28% of population.

IDA Ireland welcomes the inclusion of Kerry in the new national regional aid map as this will enhance the prospects of attracting new investment and the expansion of existing enterprises both foreign and indigenous. IDA Ireland has always promoted Kerry as an investment location for appropriate investment as is evidenced by the number of companies located in the County. At the end of2013 there were 12 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kerry with total employment of circa 1,600 people.

IDA Ireland continues to engage with these companies on an ongoing basis encouraging them to develop and embed their operations in the county.

Enterprise Ireland also welcomes these changes and will inform their clients in Kerry of the broad range of investment supports available to them, which will include the new state aid regional guidelines. This is part of their on-going working relationship with their clients. In addition to these funding supports Enterprise Ireland also works closely with the new Local Enterprise Office in Tralee, which will be formally launched tomorrow, 16 May, the Community Enterprise Centre Network and the Institute of Technology, Tralee in the delivery of a range of supports to start-up and established clients in the county.

It is important to note that all of the country, including those areas not entitled to Regional Aid, can qualify for other forms of State investment e.g. Research & Development Aid, SME Investment Aid, Training Aid, and Aid for Environmental protection etc.