Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the work to market counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon as jobs locations; the number of IDA site visits that have taken place in these counties in the past five years; the other initiatives that have taken place to contribute to highlighting the north west as a destination for new businesses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2971/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This Government is strongly committed to regional development and my Department and its agencies are working towards ambitious targets to ensure that employment and investment are as evenly distributed as possible across the country. This includes in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon, where there is currently a total of 50 IDA Ireland client companies collectively employing 7,590 people. While the IDA is determined to grow these numbers further in 2018, the current jobs total represents an increase of 19% in employment by multinationals across these four counties since 2011.

IDA Ireland markets Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim, as part of its North-West region. The Agency's business development strategy for the region includes efforts aimed at increasing investment from high value manufacturing (pharmaceutical, medical devices and engineering) along with the international financial services sector. Roscommon, meanwhile, is marketed as part of the West Region which also includes Galway and Mayo. The IDA emphasises that particular region's strengths in global business services and high tech manufacturing in its efforts to secure further investment from prospective investors. IDA Ireland also, of course, works closely with its existing clients in both the North-West and West to encourage further employment growth and capital investment.

As regards site visits, the IDA always does its best to highlight suitable sites in regional areas - including in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon - to potential investors. It is sometimes the case, however, that IDA clients will have specific requirements that may preclude certain locations. Site visits are also not necessarily indicative of the potential for foreign direct investment in an area, as at least 70% of all new investment comes from existing IDA clients that are already present in Ireland.

Details on the number of site visits to Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon over the past five years are outlined in the table below.