Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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64. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the IDA collates feedback from prospective clients following site visits; if commonalities in feedback regarding site visits are outlined in annual published reports; and if so, the name of such reports. [49828/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I understand that IDA Ireland does collate feedback following site visits from potential clients. While this is analysed and commonalities are assessed for internal Agency use, it is commercially sensitive and is not made publicly available.  However, this analysis does inform IDA Ireland’s understanding of what attracts foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland and this is reflected in the Agency’s current strategy ‘Winning: Foreign Direct Investment 2015-2019’ and in its FDI marketing programme.

Whilst site visits can be a useful indicator of new investment interest, they do not necessarily reflect the FDI potential of any given area. It should be noted, in this context, that at least 70% of investment comes from existing IDA clients.

Determining which particular sites may be attractive to a client depends on the particular requirements of the firm concerned. Factors that are habitually important to overseas investors include the suitability of local infrastructure, the proximity of transport hubs and the availability of skilled talent. Multinational companies also frequently seek to base themselves as close as possible to businesses operating in the same industry.