Written answers

Thursday, 19 May 2022

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Industrial Development

Photo of Cathal CroweCathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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12. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of vacant industrial buildings in Shannon, County Clare at this time; and the measures that his Department, in conjunction with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, is doing to attract new companies to the area. [25009/22]

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Clare has witnessed an 11% increase in employment in overseas companies since 2012. Over 680 net new jobs were added to the FDI portfolio during this period. There are now over 6,924 people employed across 71 multinational companies in Clare. Recent investments of scale have been in the Technology, Med Tech, Pharma and Financial Services sectors, with announcements from companies like Beckman Coulter, Edwards Lifesciences, Exida and Element Six.

There are currently no vacant IDA Ireland industrial buildings or landholdings in Shannon, but I am advised that IDA Ireland continues to market private sector offerings where these are available.

Clare benefits from direct and indirect employment generated by IDA Ireland client companies located in bordering counties, with over 150 IDA Ireland client companies in the Mid-West Region. Over the past five years employment among IDA Ireland clients increased by 27%, rising to 25,270.

IDA Ireland engages with Clare County Council, Shannon Commercial Properties and other property owners and stakeholders on their development plans, and markets sites and property solutions across the Mid-West region through its extensive overseas network.

Enterprise Ireland supports 94 companies in Clare, which employed 4,286 people in 2021, an increase of 8.8% on 2020 which makes the Clare the 6thbest performing county nationally in terms of 2021 employment growth.

Enterprise Ireland administered funding of €11.8 million to companies in Clare in 2021, with €4.9 million approved for Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund projects, €1.4 million through the R&D Fund in 2021 and €1.1 million through the Sustaining Enterprise Fund.

Enterprise Ireland has invested €94,500 in Shannon Commercial Enterprises DAC, which provides a complete commercial property solution for businesses looking to locate their operations to the Mid-West. Under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund, Enterprise Ireland administered €350,000 of approved funding to the Emerald Aero Cluster in Shannon.

Both IDA and Enterprise Ireland work closely with all stakeholders, including the Shannon Group, the Shannon Chamber, Clare Local Enterprise Office, the University of Limerick and Regional Skills Mid-West to attract and develop enterprise in the Mid-West and Shannon region. This region is well positioned to retain and attract new investment and both agencies will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders in the region to achieve this objective under the Regional Enterprise Plan.

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