Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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79. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency visits to County Kerry with potential investors to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19024/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that to date in 2015 there has been one IDA Ireland sponsored site visit by a potential investor to County Kerry.

IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to specific locations in Ireland are only part of the long and complicated process involved in attracting foreign direct investment to this country. These site visits may take place at the beginning or end of the process and in some cases there are no site visits involved. Site visits, when they do occur, involve new companies visiting a location for the first time and senior executives of existing companies. For reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, IDA Ireland does not comment publicly on the success rate of such site visits.

While these site visits contribute to investment approvals and the creation of jobs, there is not always a direct correlation between site visits made and jobs created in any given year. It is important also to acknowledge the natural time lag between a decision being made to invest and that investment coming on stream. The time lag can be between 3 and 5 years in some cases. That time is required for such activities as locating and acquiring a suitable site for the company’s operations, constructing a facility, installing machinery and the recruitment and training of suitable staff.

The level of investment coming on stream is best captured in the number of jobs created in any given year as recorded in the Annual Employment Survey which shows that at the end of 2014 there were 12 IDA Ireland supported companies in Kerry with total employment of 1,874. County Kerry has seen an annual increase in FDI related employment over the past three consecutive years from 1,497 in 2011 to 1,874 in 2014.

Kerry has traditionally established itself as a centre for foreign manufacturing companies but has seen a number of downsizings/closures in recent years. It has however attracted a number of services companies (e.g. JRI America, Enercon, etc.) and has a strong cluster of well-established indigenous companies.

Earlier this year IDA Ireland launched its 5 year strategy for the period 2015 to 2019 which aims to create 80,000 new jobs in the economy over the period and increase investment into each region by between 30% and 40%.

The reinstatement of Regional Aid for Kerry with effect from 1 July 2014 under the new Regional Aid Guidelines will also be beneficial to the county.

As the Deputy is aware, officials of my Department and its agencies are actively engaged with regional stakeholders in the development of individual Action Plans for each of the regions, including the South West Region, which will be published in the near future. Counties Kerry and Cork make up the South West Region.