Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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212. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency Ireland visits to counties Longford and Westmeath for each of the years 2011 and 2014. [39172/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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There were 2 site visits to Co. Longford and 22 site visits to Co. Westmeath in 2015 so far. The numbers of site visits to both counties for the years 2011 to 2014 are set out in the tabular statement. It is important to note that data on site visits is not a true measure of the level of FDI activity in a region or county. Approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base.

Currently, IDA Ireland positions the Midlands Region, comprising Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly, as having a strong cluster in medical technology and life sciences. The Midlands is home to key clients such as Abbott, Covidien, Integra, GeneMedix, Freund, Utah, KCI, and AMS. All of these international brands are an attraction for potential clients to locate in the Midlands and provide employment opportunities for people living in County Longford. Examples of where the cluster effect benefits investment decisions include the announcements in 2014 by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Athlone and American Medical Systems, who are already seeking planning permission to expand after only two years in Athlone.

As well as the FDI sector, this cluster is supported by over 600 people employed in medical technology-related industries from the indigenous sector, in areas such as manufacturing to delivery of elements of the supply chain.

The arrival of Jazz Pharmaceuticals to Athlone and the announcement of investment by Alexion Pharma combined with the existing presence of Alkermes, employing c. 400 staff identifies a new cluster in the Midlands in bio pharmaceuticals and this will be presented to potential new name companies in the market place.

The Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative was launched in February of this year and aims to identify a range of actions which will help each region to achieve its economic potential. The Action Plan for Jobs – Midland Region was launched on the 29th June. This plan sets out over 120 actions aimed to deliver enhanced employment growth in the region over the coming years with a target of increasing employment in the region by 10-15 % by 2020. The overall ambition of the Action Plan for Jobs – Midland Region is to increase employment by approximately 14,000 by 2020.

IDA Ireland launched its new strategy entitled ‘Winning – Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019’ earlier this year. As part of this strategy, IDA Ireland will roll out a €150m property investment plan over five years, which will support the achievement of the organisation's regional goals. The funding will be used to upgrade its business and technology parks, strategically invest in utility-intensive sites and build new advanced technology buildings in a number of regional locations. An advanced office building is planned for 2017 for Co. Westmeath as part of the programme.

Competition for FDI is intense globally with virtually every country in the world actively seeking new FDI investments. Investors have many attractive location options to choose from but IDA Ireland has a long and credible track record of presenting potential investors with the best location options throughout Ireland for each client. The agency actively incentivises and encourages investors to consider a range of potential locations in Ireland. The ultimate decision on location, however, rests with the client.

IDA Ireland-sponsored site visits to Longford and Westmeath 2011-2014