Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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157. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the vacant sites in County Donegal which are available for use or purchase by potential investors and are currently owned by the Industrial Development Agency or Enterprise Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16322/15]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits by potential investors to County Donegal in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16323/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that there were 6 IDA sponsored site visits by potential investors to Donegal in 2014. It should be noted that site visits are only one part of a longer negotiation process between IDA Ireland and a client company and it is important to note that data on site visits is not a true measure nor does it reflect the level of FDI activity in a Region or in a county. Depending on the sector scale and complexity of the investment won by IDA Ireland, there could be a lead period of up to 3 to 5 years before an investment is fully implemented as approved. The final decision as to where to locate an investment does and always will reside with the client company. Approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base. IDA Ireland has strong relationships with all of its client companies and works closely with them to ensure their long term sustainability and encourage their growth, development and continuing re investment in their sites.

Enterprise Ireland does not have a property portfolio and, where necessary, IDA Ireland provides property solutions for Enterprise Ireland client companies.

In Donegal, IDA Ireland has two business parks and an office park in Letterkenny. Additionally IDA is delivering a 23,649.08 ft² (2,197m²) Advance Office Building in Letterkenny to facilitate future investment and there is a 9,569ft²Advance Technology Unit on Letterkenny Business Park as well as a 26,350ft²Advance Technology Building on Letterkenny Business & Technology Park.

IDA Ireland markets Donegal as part of the North West Region, along with Counties Leitrim and Sligo. There are 41 multinational companies based in the North West, employing 5,294 across the Region of which, 2,612 - almost 50% - are employed in County Donegal alone. The Annual Employment Survey shows that employment in IDA Ireland client companies in Donegal rose by over 40% since this Government took office, rising from 1,854 at the end of 2010 to 2,612 in 2014. Indeed, the Quarterly Household Survey shows that in the past two years unemployment in the Border area, which includes Donegal, has fallen from 16.5% in Q4 2012 to 10% in Q4 2014. IDA Ireland’s strategy for the 5-year period 2015 to 2019 was recently launched. In that Strategy, the Agency set itself a target of winning 900 investments over the 5-year period and of increasing the level of investments won into in each region by between 30% and 40% during the lifetime of the Strategy.