Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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860. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA sponsored visits for each year from 2014 to 2016 to date for each county; and the detail of the IDA's strategy to ensure there is an equitable distribution of visits among counties. [23861/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland collates data on its site visits on a quarterly basis. The latest data available is for the first quarter of 2016, during which there were 136 site visits countrywide. The breakdown by county of those is provided in the following table. Figures for the second quarter will be available early next month.

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.

IDA Ireland actively tries to encourage client companies to locate in regional locations outside of Dublin. This is consistent with the IDA’s strategy for 2015-2019, which identifies regional development as a key priority of the Agency. This strategy is also targeting an increase in investment of at least 30%-40% in each region outside Dublin.

The data in the following table reflects a steady increase in the number of site visits outside of Dublin. In 2015, 57% of site visits were to locations outside of the capital, up from 43% in 2014. Figures for the first quarter of 2016 show that this trend is continuing, with 58% of visits conducted so far this year being outside of Dublin.

The decision by a company of where to locate can be influenced by a number of factors. These include access to qualified talent, proximity to transport hubs, the ready supply of suitable property and the availability of sophisticated professional and business support services. Ultimately, while the IDA does its utmost to encourage companies to consider locations that are most in need of investment, the final decision of where to situate rests with the business itself.

IDA IRELAND SITE VISITS BY COUNTY 2014, 2015 and Q1 2016