Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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209. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of joint initiatives between the Industrial Development Agency Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland; the cost per initiative; the expenditure on joint initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46232/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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It should be appreciated that IDA Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland (INI) are direct competitors for mobile Foreign Direct Investment so therefore the practical opportunities for ongoing cooperation are somewhat limited.

Nevertheless, the IDA cooperates with INI where appropriate in the context of regional and all-island economic development, recognising appropriate opportunities to pursue mutually beneficial cross border co-operation on aspects of economic policy and infrastructure/spatial planning. There has been one significant instance of shared co-operation between both Agencies some years ago, to capitalise on the combined strengths of Letterkenny and Derry City as an economic corridor. This led to the jointly developed North West Business Technology Zone (NWBTZ), which involved a total expenditure of €39m on developing infrastructure and property solutions in both centres, including the development of a state of the art Business and Technology Park in Letterkenny. Of this sum, the EU’s INTERREG IIIA Programme contributed €10m. Enhanced facilities are now in place, to drive the region’s attractiveness for investment.

Arising out of that work by IDA and INI, Project Kelvin was developed to provide enhanced telecommunications between the region and North American/European centres. It was a cross-border venture, costing €43m, supported by the relevant Departments North and South and co-financed by the European Union (€32.25m). The project was completed in 2010 and represents an important driver to attract companies requiring these technologies.

Apart from those specific projects, where appropriate, IDA Ireland and INI co-operate administratively on company visits where both jurisdictions are being considered by foreign companies. These visits are, in the main, usually initiated by IDA’s network of overseas offices.