Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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215. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the actions his Department has taken to implement the south-east economic development strategy; the actions that have been taken to improve overall employment in the south-east region; his views on dedicating an increased number of Industrial Development Agency, IDA Ireland, staff for the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37708/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the South East Economic Development Strategy (referred to as SEEDS), which was launched in September last, represents a detailed assessment of a wide range of factors that can contribute to the overall economic development of the South East Region. I am pleased that the new Report acknowledges the progress that has already been made by the Government and that its recommendations reflect very similar themes and issues to those contained in the 2011 report that I commissioned through Forfás. These issues and themes are guiding the work of the South East Development Forum, which I established to drive the renewal of economic and jobs growth in the region. I have asked the South East Forum to consider the contents of the SEEDS Report in the context of its ongoing work. The report is a very helpful contribution to identifying possible interventions to assist the economy of the South East Region. Some of the actions in the report fall outside my own remit, while others have not been fully costed but are likely to have Exchequer costs if implemented. This naturally creates challenges in the context of the current public expenditure constraints.

Nevertheless, the progress which has been made in job creation for the South East Region in recent times has been very heartening, with employment having increased by 15,000 in 2013 alone, a trend which has continued in 2014 . The unemployment rate has fallen from 19% at the start of 2013 to 14.3% at the end of Q 2 2014. Just last week, the Taoiseach and I were very pleased to be able to officiate at the launch of the exciting new €100m project by West Pharmain Waterford City, the latest in a succession of new job creation projects in the region.

I am pleased also to advise that, in order to improve the offering in the Region to win new business, IDA Ireland has signed contracts for the construction of an advanced manufacturing facility in Waterford. This facility, which will be 2,348 square metres in area, will be located in the IDA Technology Park at Butlerstown and will be completed by year end. In addition, IDA Ireland has rolled out a dedicated digital marketing initiative for inward investment focussing on the South East Region and Waterford (Connect and Invest Waterford).

Regarding the level of IDA staffing in the region, I am informed by IDA Ireland that there are 5 staff based in the Waterford Office with client-facing and regional responsibilities. These staff work with the existing client company base in the South East to ensure their sustainability and growth and they also facilitate itineraries into the region. They also work with other key stakeholders to ensure that the Region has a competitive and ever improving offering. Subject to the overall constraints of the Employment Control Framework ceiling, the numbers and location of staff in the various offices of IDA Ireland is a day to day operational matter for the Agency and not one in which I have a function.