Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the status of regional IDA site visits in addition to vacant IDA properties nationwide in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50502/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government is doing everything possible to ensure the best possible distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) across the country. Progress is being made towards that goal. In 2017, for example, IDA Ireland secured 99 regional investments with 45% of all new jobs created outside Dublin. The last three years have also seen 30,000 new FDI jobs created outside Dublin.

The availability of marketable serviced land and buildings in advance of demand is a key element in the IDA's ability to compete for mobile FDI and win new investment for regional Ireland. Not only does such a supply of properties help the Agency to secure job-rich investment but it also allows projects to begin at an earlier date by diminishing many difficulties associated with land acquisition, planning and construction. It is therefore an important means by which the IDA can encourage and attract new investors to Ireland.

I understand that IDA Ireland owns 30 properties across the country. Of these, 13 are currently occupied by IDA clients with a further 17 properties available for prospective or existing investors.

Excluding Dublin, there has been a total of 252 site visits across Ireland in the first three quarters of 2018. Such site visits remain an important tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas and the IDA always does its utmost to ensure that overseas firms consider all potential locations when visiting Ireland. This is in line with the priority that has been placed on investment outside of our main cities, with the Agency continuing to target an increase in investment of 30% to 40% in every region of the country by the end of its current strategy in 2019.

It should, however, be emphasised that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the firm concerned. It is also the case that some companies will only consider investing in urban areas, for a variety of commercial reasons. Site visit activity also does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as almost 70% of all new FDI comes from existing IDA client companies.