Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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45. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress on securing an alternative tenant for the Bank of America facility in Carrick on Shannon, County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18341/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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A series of actions are being implemented by local and national bodies to source an alternative employer and find alternative employment for those impacted by the MBNA redundancies, which unfortunately took effect on November 28th last.

An inter-agency group, led by Enterprise Ireland, has been formed and its membership includes representatives of all the relevant State players. This Group has met regularly and provided a coordinated approach to the needs of the affected staff and is ensuring that all necessary steps are put in train to pursue an alternative employer.

As part of the ongoing work Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland continue to fully engage with their existing client companies and, in the case of the IDA, with prospective new international investors, to market the facility and especially to make them aware of the skilled pool of former staff.

There have been a small number of preliminary enquiries about the facility, both from foreign owned and Irish owned businesses but it is too early in the process to be specific about their potential.

It is noteworthy that Government has had considerable success in driving job creation in the Border Region, which includes County Leitrim. Since Q3 2012 the unemployment rate has fallen from 17.7% to 10% as of Q 4 2014, and the rate in the West Region, which includes Roscommon, has shown an almost similar fall, to now stand at 10.2%. While still unacceptably high, this reduction represents very substantial progress and I am driving this improvement with the advent of the new Regional Enterprise Strategies. These will be developed following consultation with key stakeholders at regional level and on the analysis of the strengths of each region. All will include specific actions for all the enterprise development organisations and other public bodies active in each region, to promote enterprise growth and job creation. Of course specific issues and factors relevant to particular regions, such as the MBNA closure, will be fully embraced in the new Strategies.