Written answers

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Trade Missions

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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248. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if his Government, during Ministers' trade missions over Saint Patrick's weekend, will be promoting the north-west region as a potential destination for Industrial Development Agency supported companies coming to Ireland; the total number of agency visits to County Donegal in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9042/15]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Each year I, along with my colleagues in Government, lead a number of trade and investment missions across the globe to support Irish companies selling abroad and to attract foreign direct investment to this country. These missions are in support of the work being done on the ground by the enterprise development agencies Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

The value of the St Patrick’s Day promotions cannot be overstated. It is the best period in which to showcase “Team Ireland” in operation abroad. Last year’s programme reached an audience of over 353,000 directly and 80million through media coverage and assisted in securing €5 million in new business for Irish exporters.

I would like to assure the Deputy that I will of course use every opportunity during the coming St Patrick’s Day events abroad to attract foreign direct investment to Ireland and its regions, including the North West but I must remind the Deputy that despite efforts to influence location the decision on where to locate is taken in all cases by the investor.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that in 2014 there were 6 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to County Donegal.

As a Government, we are determined to ensure that every region in the country will benefit from recovery and we recently announced details of the Action Plan for Jobs-Regional initiative which will seek to maximise the strengths and assets of each region to support enterprise growth and job creation.

Last week I also launched IDA Ireland’s new strategy for the 5 year period 2015 to 2019. In that Strategy the Agency set itself a target of winning 900 investments over the 5 year period and of increasing increase the level of investments won into in each region by between 30% and 40% during the lifetime of the strategy.

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