Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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473. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits per county in 2016 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32974/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland collates data on site visits on a quarterly basis. The latest data available is to the end of the third quarter of 2016, during which there were 489 site visits countrywide. The breakdown by county of those visits is provided in the enclosed table.

In 2015, 57% of site visits were to locations outside of the capital, up from 43% in 2014. Figures for 2016 shows that this trend is continuing, with 58% of visits conducted so far this year being outside of Dublin.

It should be remembered that the decision by a company as to 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 business support services.

While IDA Ireland actively encourages its clients to locate or expand in regional locations, ultimately the final decision always rests with the company concerned.

IDA Ireland Jobs Statistics 2015; Site Visits 2015 and to end Quarter 3 2016 by County