Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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232. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 258 of 14 January 2015, the number of visits of potential investors-Industrial Development Agency to North and South Tipperary in 2014; the way this compares to other counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3334/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that in 2014 there were three site visits to Co. Tipperary. As the Deputy will see from the following tabular statement, which sets out on a county-by-county basis the number of IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits during 2014, one county had the same number of visits as Tipperary while 11 counties had a lesser number of visits and 13 counties received more visits. Dublin received the most visits. In this connection, I must point out that, while IDA Ireland does try to influence the location, the final decision on where to visit is made by the investor. IDA Ireland is currently in the process of finalising its new strategy for the coming 5 years and is conscious of the need to secure investments and jobs for all regions of the country over the lifetime of the strategy.

Growing both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and indigenous enterprise is key to Ireland’s economic recovery. I am glad to inform the Deputy that 2014 was a record year for both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in terms of investment wins and job creation, with 7,131 net new jobs being created in IDA Ireland client companies and 8,476 net new jobs being created in Enterprise Ireland client companies.

As Minister for Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, I introduced a collaborative, cross government approach to advancing job creation in the State. The Action Plan for Jobs is an annual plan designed to drive action across all Government Departments and Agencies in a collective effort to put in place the conditions needed to support and grow enterprise in the State.

As I have said on more than one occasion, 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, which I hope to publish shortly.

It is my intention that 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.