Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the up-to-date position regarding the delivery of a new IDA advanced facility in Kerry Technology Park, Tralee; the status of employment levels that is currently at the existing Central Pharma plant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62088/22]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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113. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is concerned with figures detailing employment numbers in IDA-supported companies in County Kerry in comparison with every other county; if the differences can be explained; his plans to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62087/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 113 together.

On 12 December, IDA Ireland posted its annual results for 2022. There are now 229 IDA client companies in the South-West Region, employing 52,228 people, an increase of 8% on the 2021 figure. The FDI performance in the region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 30%. Counties in the South-West region also benefit hugely from the direct and indirect employment generated by IDA client companies located in the South West.

The South-West has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. It has also won significant investment across all these sectors over a sustained period which has contributed significantly to employment growth and positive economic impacts on other sectors of the economy. At the end of 2022, there are 17 IDA client companies in County Kerry employing 2,020 staff directly which is an increase of 4.5% on the 2021 employment figure.

The IDA’s property investment programme is aimed at supporting economic development and job creation across IDA’s, Enterprise Ireland's and local LEO’s respective client base. It is crucial that the South-West region has a competitive, sustainable property offering to enable the attraction and retention of investment and jobs.

IDA Ireland is committed to building a new (second) Advanced Technology Building in Tralee. On the 6 July 2022, IDA Ireland announced that it has signed Heads of Terms with Shannon Commercial Enterprises DAC to progress with the acquisition of the remaining lands at Kerry Technology Park, Tralee. Progress on this IDA land acquisition is ongoing. IDA Ireland is proposing to identify a site within the land bank to accommodate the construction of an Advance Building Solution announced as part of the IDA Strategy Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024. The completion of the building in Tralee is dependent on completion of the various stages of site selection, design, and a statutory planning process and subject to IDA Board approval.

This significant investment by IDA Ireland in the South-West Region aims to future-proof the property offering in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region and to Kerry in particular.

IDA Ireland is committed to winning opportunities for Kerry as demonstrated in IDA Ireland’s Strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024, which commits the organisation to winning new investments for every region of Ireland. There is a target of 800 investments for Ireland over the period, 400 of which will be outside Dublin. The South West Region (Kerry & Cork) has the largest target of any region outside Dublin of 118 investments.

There is a strong focus on supporting existing IDA client companies already in Ireland to minimise downsizings or closures and while some industry sectors are performing well others have been impacted significantly as a result of the pandemic and/or a downturn. IDA Ireland continues to monitor and work with these companies in relation to providing supports and assistance to enable these companies to continue to transform and grow.