Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Delivering balanced regional enterprise growth and sustainable local job creation is a core objective of this Government and is a key component of my Department’s White Paper on Enterprise. To this end, my Department through its Enterprise Agencies, and together with the Local Enterprise Offices, continues to focus on supporting businesses across the country, including in south Kildare.

The IDA is committed to more balanced, compact regional development and will target half of all investments from 2021-2024 to regional locations. There are 113 IDA client companies in the Mid-East region, employing 21,861 people. 39 of these companies, which employ 12,174 people, are based in Co. Kildare.

In July 2022, Diageo announced a €200m investment in a purpose-built carbon neutral brewery in Newbridge and in June 2022 Keurig Dr Pepper’s celebrated the opening of its International Operations Hub in Newbridge.

IDA Ireland’s Regional Property Programme is a significant driver of regional economic development and job creation through the supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations. To this end, the IDA maintains a focus on land banks and utility intensive strategic sites to future proof the ability of their property portfolio to support the project pipeline. IDA Ireland owns land in Newbridge Business Park and in Little Connell, Newbridge.

Enterprise Ireland’s strategy has set targets of creating 45,000 new jobs by 2024 and that over two-thirds of these new jobs will be created outside Dublin. In 2022, Enterprise Ireland supported over 9,000 jobs in Kildare.

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are at the very heart of business development and entrepreneurship in towns and communities across the country and will continue to enhance their advisory services for locally trading firms. The LEOs act as a ‘first-stop-shop’ for providing advice and guidance, financial assistance, and other supports to anyone wishing to start or grow their own business. In 2022, Kildare LEO supported over 250 businesses who employed approximately 1,300 people in Kildare.

The LEO works in conjunction with the Economic Development Unit in Kildare County Council and is involved in several projects including in Monasterevin, Rathangan and Athy:

Monasterevin - Through the Enterprise Cluster programme development, the Department secured capital funding to redevelop the town's old Bank of Ireland as a Fashion and Textile Hub for entrepreneurs. The building has been acquired and a feasibility study undertaken in 2023 with a view to further investment managed and administered by LEO Kildare

Rathangan -There has been investment managed by Kildare County Council’s office to enhance Rathangan Industrial Estate undertaken in Q4, 2023.

Athy - Kildare LEO received €100,000 through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to deliver its Streetscape Enhancement Measure; matched-funded €20,000 (via Local Property Tax) to this scheme.

In Q4 2023, Kildare LEO submitted tender documentation and technical specifications for the Athy Food, Beverage and Skills Innovation Hub.

The Mid-East region has also been very successful under my Department’s enterprise funding schemes securing over €8.9 million for five innovative enterprise focused projects. This includes two projects in Co. Kildare with the MERITS Innovative Thinkspace based in Naas securing €2.4m and AgTech UCD Innovation Centre securing €3m in funding.

The first call under the new Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme was announced earlier this month. The Scheme will assist in delivering on the objectives set out in the nine Regional Enterprise Plans and help to drive job creation and enterprise development. It will provide an opportunity for regional stakeholders to unlock potential from the bottom up through collaboration including in south Kildare.

My Department and its agencies will continue to support employment and industry across south Kildare, the Mid-East and the wider country.