Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the position regarding the work of the IDA and all other agencies under the aegis of her Department in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42755/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to regional development and my Department and its agencies are working towards ambitious targets to ensure that employment and investment are as fairly distributed as possible across the country, including in Tipperary. While more work remains to be done in the County, it has made steady progress in job creation terms, with unemployment having decreased by 28% since 2011. At the end of last year total State agency supported employment in Tipperary stood at 10,157.

A key tool for supporting job creation and fostering enterprise in Tipperary is the Regional Action Plan for Jobs initiative. This was launched in January 2015 and remains a central pillar of the Government’s work to create 135,000 new jobs outside of Dublin by 2020. Tipperary is covered by both the South East and Mid West Action Plans, with core objectives of both being an increase of 10-15% in the numbers employed by 2020 and the reduction of unemployment to within one percentage point of the State average.  

The two regions in which Tipperary is situated have both made significant economic strides forward. The South East has seen good growth in employment over the last five years, with an additional 33,600 in employment in Q2 2017 compared to Q1 2012. The Mid West has also performed strongly and was the third fastest growing region in the country in employment terms from Q2 2016 to Q2 2017.

The implementation of the two Action Plans for Tipperary involves a wide range of stakeholders, both local and national. This includes representatives from the Local Authorities, the enterprise agencies and other key public and private sector stakeholders in Tipperary. All have been strongly involved in, and remain key drivers of, both the South East and the Mid West Action Plans for Jobs.

With regard to the IDA, its strategy for 2015-2019 is aligned to our regional development goals and includes a commitment to increase foreign direct investment in every region outside Dublin by 30% to 40% by 2019. I am pleased that the Agency’s 2016 results show that progress is being made towards that end, with 52% of all jobs created by the Agency’s clients last year based outside of Dublin.

The IDA remains focused on attracting further FDI to Tipperary. The Agency markets the northern and southern halves of the County respectively as parts of its national Mid-West and South East regions. There are a total of 12 IDA client companies currently situated across the County, collectively employing 3,368 people. Given the County’s significant manufacturing base, and its particular profile as a home to medical devices companies, the IDA strongly promotes Tipperary as an excellent location for new FDI from that wider sector.

The FDI base is complemented by a strong indigenous sector in both North and South Tipperary. Enterprise Ireland has 120 clients across the County and works closely with them – including from the Agency’s office in Shannon – to drive export growth and job creation. Enterprise Ireland has also invested significantly in companies situated there, with businesses receiving grants totalling €11.74 million from 2014-2016. Enterprise Ireland has funded as well five Community Enterprise Centres which provide important enterprise hubs in the county.

At local level, the Tipperary Local Enterprise Office successfully secured funding for five projects funded under Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Fund for LEOs. Additionally, a project from within the county was awarded funding to assess the viability of establishing a Food Centre of Excellence for Tipperary under Enterprise Ireland’s Community Enterprise Initiative Scheme 2016.

While we remain determined to achieve further progress in Tipperary, the overall enterprise trend in the area is one of steady improvement. My Department and its Agencies will continue to do their utmost to ensure that the highest level of investment and job creation possible is secured for County Tipperary in the time ahead.