Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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278. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of visits to County Kerry by prospective Industrial Development Agency Ireland companies in 2016; the details of these visits; her views on this level of visitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23569/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by IDA Ireland that there were three Agency sponsored site visits to Kerry in 2016. For reasons of client confidentiality, the Agency cannot make details of specific visits publicly available.

It is important to remember that the number of site visits to a particular county is not necessarily an accurate measure of the level of foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in the area. That is because approximately 70% of all FDI won by IDA Ireland comes from its existing client base, rather than new companies.

Although I am satisfied with the IDA's record results over the last number of years, both the Agency and I continue to work hard to increase the level of FDI in Ireland, especially in areas outside Dublin. Regional development remains a top priority and we are focused on continuing the good progress made in growing employment outside of our main urban areas. Last year, for example, over half of all jobs created by IDA Ireland's clients were based outside of Dublin.  This includes 186 new jobs created in Kerry in 2016.