Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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232. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA visits that have taken place to the new advance factory on the Breaffy Road, Castlebar, County Mayo; and the month in which those visits took place. [38382/18]

Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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233. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps which have been taken to secure a tenant for the new advance factory on the Breaffy Road, Castlebar, County Mayo. [38383/18]

Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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234. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA visits that have taken place in County Mayo to date in 2018; the month each visit occurred; and the locations shown to prospective investors. [38384/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 232 to 234, inclusive, together.

County Mayo has hosted four IDA site visits to date in 2018. Site visits are collated by the IDA on a county-by-county basis only and are released every quarter. Information on the number of site visits per month to specific locations is therefore unavailable.

With regards to the Castlebar facility, this building is now completed and is being actively marketed to IDA clients through its network of offices in Ireland and overseas. The Agency does not, on account of client confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, release details of specific site visit itineraries of potential investors.

IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in all counties of Ireland to its client base. It is important to remember, however, that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as at least 70% of all new foreign direct investment (FDI) comes from existing client companies of the Agency.

The overall outlook for FDI in County Mayo remains positive. There are 16 IDA client companies employing 4,462 in total in the County. Mayo has experienced a 26% increase in FDI employment from 2012 to 2017 with job numbers increasing from 3,537 in 2012 to 4,462 at the end of last year. IDA Ireland continues to engage with its existing client base to support them in growing their business and footprint further in County Mayo.