Written answers

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Enterprise Data

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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283. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the investment made in County Louth and in the old Drogheda borough region, respectively, by agencies (details supplied) in each of the years 2008 to 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3886/19]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This Government is fully committed to the creation of high-quality and sustainable employment across Ireland, including in County Louth. There are now 3,903 people employed in IDA client companies in Louth with 139 net new jobs added in 2018. The new National Development Plan recognises the importance of Dundalk and Drogheda as key centres in the context of the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor. Both towns have a strong track record in attracting multinational companies due to the quality of the local infrastructure as well as their proximity to Dublin's transport hubs. I am therefore confident that we will be able to sustain and grow investment levels in County Louth, including in Drogheda.

Enterprise Ireland (EI) supported companies employed 215,207 people throughout Ireland in 2018. EI is actively working with companies in Louth to drive competitiveness, innovation and market diversification. Payments to support these activities in each of the years detailed are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Enterprise Ireland Payments to Client Companies in Louth 2008-2018

CountyLouth
2018€3,079,928
2017€4,063,517
2016€5,569,603
2015€4,396,281
2014€1,603,265
2013€2,153,930
2012€2,561,842
2011€2,235,346
2010€3,901,224
2009€5,266,959
2008€1,915,865
Grand Total€36,747,760
Note: (Payments Report excludes infrastructural clients, recipients of Employment Subsidy Schemes I and II, Community Enterprise Centres and Shannon Free Zone transfer companies, and Innovation Partnerships & Innovation Vouchers). EI does not have the data broken down by Old Drogheda Borough region.

LEO Louth is the ‘first-stop-shop’ for anyone wishing to start a business in the area. The LEOs were established on 15 April 2014 on foot of the County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Act 2014. Therefore data for LEO Louth is only available from 2014 onwards. In addition it should be noted that LEO investment figures for 2018 will not be available until a survey of LEO clients is completed in Q1 2019.

Table 2: LEO Louth Payments to Client Companies in Louth 2014-2017

CountyLouth
2017€209,493
2016€227,426
2015€195,023
2014€225,203
Grand Total€857,145

IDA Ireland is authorised by my Department to provide a range of financial supports to companies in the form of employment, capital, research and development, environmental and training grants. These grants remain an important means of encouraging firms to invest in Ireland, particularly in regional locations.

Information pertaining to these grants is collated on a county by county basis. Data on grants to specific locations and towns is therefore unavailable.

The following table provides a breakdown of grants paid by IDA Ireland to its client companies in County Louth between 2008 and 2017. I am informed by the IDA that information on the total of grants paid to client companies in 2018 will be made available once they have been audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. This audit should be completed by mid-2019.

It is important to note that grants paid in a particular year are not necessarily linked to either the investments won or the jobs created in that 12-month period. Grants are generally drawn down over the lifetime of a project which is normally over a period of three to five years. Some investments which result in job creation may not be grant aided and some well-established firms may no longer be receiving grant payments.

Table 3: IDA Ireland Payments to Client Companies in Louth 2008-2017

CountyLouth
2017€33,831
2016€262,056
2015€993,000
2014€35,000
2013€0
2012€279,334
2011€489,051
2010€347,207
2009€282,000
2008€1,245,000
Grand Total€3,966,479

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