Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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On 12 December, I was pleased to join the Chair and Interim CEO IDA Ireland of IDA Ireland for the launch of their annual employment 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 in the regions is aimed at supporting economic development and job creation across IDA’s, Enterprise Ireland 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.

Over the last 5 years, IDA’s Regional Property Programme enabled the winning of capital-intensive projects of significant scale to regional locations including the Southwest.

IDA Ireland have engaged in numerous discussions since 2019 in relation to its land holding in Kanturk. The land was under offer to a client company but unfortunately, they have since withdrawn. Discussions have also taken place with Cork County Council in relation to taking on the lands to support potential indigenous clients. IDA’s Property Marketing team continues to market the land in Kanturk to potential overseas clients through our network of global teams as well as Enterprise Ireland and LEO clients in Ireland. This land holding forms part of IDA Ireland’s Regional Property Programme funded by The Government to maintain property solutions in regional locations for FDI. Finding a mutually beneficial solution for all parties for the land in question through continued marketing will assist IDA in winning new investments into the Southwest Region.