Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits to County Kerry by potential investors in 2014; a monthly breakdown of visits; his views on a positive outcome from any of these visits; if he envisages an increased level of visitation activity in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1967/15]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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86. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will prioritise County Kerry for special attention from the Industrial Development Agency in 2015, in view of the lack of success in recent years in attracting foreign direct investment for Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1968/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that there were 3 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Kerry in 2014, one by the end of the first half of the year and two further visits in the second half of the year. Due to client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, IDA Ireland does not comment on upcoming visits by clients.

At the end of2014 there were 12 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kerry employing 1,874 people. IDA Ireland has strong relationships with all these companies and works closely with them to ensure their long term sustainability and to encourage their growth, development and continuing re-investment in their sites. The primary opportunity for regional locations is in respect of the existing client base and potential further investment opportunities from same. Approximately 70% of all FDI investments won by IDA Ireland is from the existing client base. IDA Ireland works closely with third level educational institutions in the region so that the skill-sets necessary to attract high value added employment to the Region are being developed. When marketing Kerry for new inward investment IDA Ireland focuses on the ICT (incl. software), International Financial Services and Globally Traded Business sectors.

2014 marks the end of IDA Ireland’s 5 year Strategy “Horizon 2020”. The Agency is currently finalising its new Strategy for the coming 5 years. I look forward to launching the new strategy, detailing goals and the broad direction IDA Ireland will take to accomplish them over the next five years.

I have been working with my Department on the development of a framework for the formulation of Regional Enterprise Strategies that will enable us to identify the sustainable competitive strengths of each region and to better integrate the efforts of the enterprise development agencies and other regional stakeholders in supporting enterprise growth and jobs in areas of potential. A key element of this process is the Regional Enterprise Forum, which I chaired in Athlone on 19^thDecember last. I hope to publish the framework strategy shortly. The Regional strategy will be rolled out firstly in the Midlands before being rolled out in other regions and will include specific actions and targets on the part of my Department, the enterprise development agencies and other public bodies to promote enterprise growth and job creation in the region.