Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

164. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency Ireland client visits in quarter 1 of 2016 by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7149/16]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

167. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the context of the Industrial Development Agency’s Horizon 2020 Strategy and the target that 50% of investment will be located outside Dublin and Cork, the latest breakdown of the number of the agency's sponsored visits to County Dublin which also visited County Cork; and the number of the agency's sponsored visits to County Cork which also visited County Dublin, in 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7152/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 167 together.

IDA Ireland maintains statistics of site visits by potential investors on a county-by-county basis only. During quarter one of 2016, there were a total of 136 IDA Ireland sponsored site visits by potential investors to various locations throughout the country. The table below sets out, on a county-by-county basis, the number of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits during this period.

During 2015, there were 242 visits to Dublin and 48 visits to Cork. Similarly, by the end of the first quarter of 2016 there were 57 visits to Dublin and 11 visits to Cork. Some companies depending on their requirements may visit both Dublin and Cork on the same itinerary or choose to visit one county or the other. IDA Ireland cannot provide details on clients’ itineraries for reasons of client confidentiality.

Since 2015 IDA Ireland has been working towards targets set out in their strategy “Winning - Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019”. For the first time, under this strategy, ambitious investment targets have been set on a regional basis whereby the Agency aims to increase the level of investment by between 30% to 40% in each region.

The Government’s commitment to countrywide job creation is further illustrated by the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative. This initiative saw eight Plans published throughout 2015 and 2016, which identified a range of actions aimed at supporting each region to achieve its economic potential and raise employment levels.

While IDA Ireland does attempt to influence the choice of location, the final decision as to where to visit and ultimately locate is taken in all cases by the client company.

It is important to note that data on site visits is not an accurate measure of the level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) activity in a region or county. That is partly because approximately 70% of all FDI investment won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base, rather than new companies.

The true measure of FDI is reflected in IDA Ireland’s record 2015 results. IDA Ireland client companies created just under 19,000 (18,983) jobs on the ground during the year across a range of sectors, with every region of Ireland posting net gains in jobs.

Table shows the number of IDA Ireland sponsored site visits, on a county by county basis during quarter one 2016.