Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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323. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits in each year since 2012, and to date in 2015, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34686/15]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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324. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits for each year since 2012, and to date in 2015 in the Dublin region, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34687/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 and 324 together.

I am informed by IDA Ireland that information in relation to sponsored site visits by potential investors is provided on a county by county basis only and that from 2012 to the end of June 2015 there were a total of 1,310 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to various locations across the country. Details of the number of these site visits during this period, which include Co. Dublin are set out in the attached tabular statement.

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. For reasons of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, IDA Ireland does not comment publicly on the success rate of such site visits. We must also remember that it is the investor in all cases who decides where to invest and an investment win for Ireland regardless of the location has to be seen as a plus for the country as a whole.

Growing both Foreign Direct Investment and indigenous enterprise is key to Ireland’s economic recovery. In February, the Government announced details of the Action Plan for Jobs: Regionalinitiative which seeks to capitalise on the strengths and assets of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation. The initiative will build on the success of the National Action Plan for Jobs, and encourage regional stakeholders - including enterprise agencies, local authorities, higher education institutions, other public bodies and the private sector - to come forward with innovative ideas to boost job creation in their own region. The goal is to increase employment levels by a further 10 to 15 per cent in each region by 2020 and to ensure the unemployment rate is within 1% of the State average.To date three Regional Action Plans have been launched (Midlands, South West and South East). Plans for the West and Mid West Regions will be launched in the coming weeks. Plans are currently in development for The Border and Mid East regions and work will commence shortly on the development of a plan for the Dublin region

In addition to a €150 million property investment programme led by IDA Ireland, which will provide advance availability of suitable buildings in regional locations, up to €100 million will be available through Enterprise Ireland for three separate competitive calls which will support entrepreneurs and enterprise growth in the regions. The first two of these calls were launched on 15^thMay. Each call will provide €5 million over the period 2015-2017 for community based-initiatives and for collaborative projects from Local Enterprise Offices respectively. A third Regional Competitive Fund of up to €40 million for collaborative regional enterprise initiatives will be announced later in the year.

We are determined that every region will benefit from the recovery. 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%.

Table shows the total number of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors by county since 2012 to the end of June 2015.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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325. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the context of the Industrial Development Agency’s Horizon 2020 strategy, and the target of locating 50% of investments outside Dublin and Cork, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of the Agency's sponsored visits to Dublin, which also visited Cork; and the number of the Agency's sponsored visits to Cork, which also visited Dublin, since 2012. [34688/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that from 2012 to the end of June 2015 there were a total of 677 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to Dublin and 118 visits to Cork. Details of the number of these site visits during this period are set out in the attached tabular statement.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 (FDI) to this country. Depending on the requirements of the client company, some may visit Dublin and Cork on the same itinerary, or they may choose to visit either Dublin or Cork respectively. Presently, IDA Ireland does not have the facility to provide an instant cross reference of site visits for companies that have visited both Dublin and Cork.

Growing both Foreign Direct Investment and indigenous enterprise is key to Ireland’s economic recovery. In February, the Government announced details of the Action Plan for Jobs: Regionalinitiative which seeks to capitalise on the strengths and assets of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation. The initiative will build on the success of the National Action Plan for Jobs, and encourage regional stakeholders - including enterprise agencies, local authorities, higher education institutions, other public bodies and the private sector - to come forward with innovative ideas to boost job creation in their own region. The goal is to increase employment levels by a further 10 to 15 per cent in each region by 2020 and to ensure the unemployment rate is within 1% of the State average.To date three Regional Action Plans have been launched (Midlands, South West and South East). Plans for the West and Mid West Regions will be launched in the coming weeks. Plans are currently in development for The Border and Mid East regions and work will commence shortly on the development of a plan for the Dublin region

In addition to a €150 million property investment programme led by IDA Ireland, which will provide advance availability of suitable buildings in regional locations, up to €100 million will be available through Enterprise Ireland for three separate competitive calls which will support entrepreneurs and enterprise growth in the regions. The first two of these calls were launched on 15^thMay. Each call will provide €5 million over the period 2015-2017 for community based-initiatives and for collaborative projects from Local Enterprise Offices respectively. A third Regional Competitive Fund of up to €40 million for collaborative regional enterprise initiatives will be announced later in the year.

We are determined that every region will benefit from the recovery. 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%.

Table shows the total number of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to Dublin and Cork since 2012 to the end of June 2015.