Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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324. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA visits by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53414/19]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Regional development is a key priority for my Department. We understand the importance of achieving the best possible spread of employment and investment across the country and we have been working hard towards that goal. Significant progress has already been made, with 58% of all IDA client-supported employment now located outside of Dublin. This figure represents the highest such figure in the history of the Agency. Our aim remains to increase this percentage further by the end of this year.

When it comes to foreign direct investment (FDI), site visits do represent a valuable tool through which investors can be encouraged to invest in regional areas. However, as I have said before, site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as a significant percentage of all new FDI comes from existing IDA client companies.

The table below details the number of IDA site visits per county from 2018 until the third quarter of 2019. Details on site visits for the entirety of 2019 will become available early next year.