Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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344. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in a tabular form, on a county basis and in the case of Dublin on a local authority basis the number of Industrial Development Agency client visits to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30684/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that up to the end of June 2014, there were a total of 250 site visits by potential investors to various locations across the country. Details of the number of site on a county basis are set out in the attached tabular statement. Data on the site visits is maintained on a county basis only.

As the Deputy is aware, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is, and will continue to be, an integral part of Ireland's economic development strategy. IDA Ireland's Annual Report and Accounts for 2013, which was launched last week shows that 2013 was one of the best years in recent times for the attraction FDI and the creation of jobs in IDA Ireland client companies. During the year a total of 13,367 new jobs were created in IDA Ireland client companies and 164 investments were won which exceeded the targets set out in the Action Plan for Jobs 2013. Of the 164 investments won, 78 came from companies investing in Ireland for the first time, with 59 expansions and 27 Research, Development and Innovation projects. There are now over 166,000 people directly employed in IDA Ireland client companies nationwide, the highest number in the history of the agency.

I am delighted to say that IDA Ireland's mid-year results which were released last week show that over 100 investments were secured in the first six months of 2014, compared to 70 at the same time last year. Of the investments secured, 40% have come from companies investing in Ireland for the first time, with the remainder represented by extensions and transformations by existing companies. The projects approved during the first half of 2014 will lead to the creation of 8,000 jobs this year and over future years as the companies roll out their investment plans.

Continuing the strong flow of jobs growth from multinational companies is a crucial part of our Action Plan for Jobs. We have put in place a range of measures to support jobs growth in this area, including extra IDA staff overseas, an increase in the number of Ministerial trade missions and new advance facilities in regional cities and towns. In the past three years we have seen a total of more than 18,000 net new jobs created in multinational companies across the country. I am determined to continue making the necessary changes to ensure that we can continue this flow of job creation across the country in the coming years.

Table shows the number of IDA Ireland site visits by county to the end of June 2014