Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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217. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide on a county basis the number of Industrial Development Agency, IDA Ireland, site visits to each county from 1 June 2014 to 30 September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38178/14]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form the number of Industrial Development Agency, IDA Ireland led visits by potential investors to each county from 1 January to 30 September 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38214/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 219 together.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that from the 1st of January 2014 to 30thSeptember 2014, there were a total of 308 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to various locations across the country. 104 of these visits were during the period 1 June to 30 September 2014. Details of the number of site visits on a county basis in the periods 1 January to 30 September 2014 and 1 June to 30 September 2014 are set out in the attached tabular statement.

There are many complex factors influencing decision location making, such as the increasing preference of investors globally for cities of scale with 1 million plus populations, significant challenges from lower cost locations in Eastern Europe and the Far East and attractive regional aid. While IDA Ireland does attempt to influence the choice of locationthe final decision as to where to visit and ultimately where to locate is taken in all cases by the investor.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2014 includes a commitment to develop a framework for a Regional Enterprise Strategy to better integrate the efforts of the enterprise development agencies and other regional stakeholders in supporting enterprises. My intention is that the framework will be developed on a pilot basis initially, focusing on the Midlands region, and involving the agencies under the remit of my own Department – Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. The objective is to enhance synergies between the agencies and their client companies and build on the competitive strengths of the region to maximise the potential for job creation. The role which other public bodies in the region can play in working towards this objective will also be examined as the project develops. The aim is that this framework will serve as a model for other regions of the country.

Table showing the number of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits, on a county by county basis in the period 1 January 2014 to 30 September 2014 and from

1 June 2014 to 30 September 2014