Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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387. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide an update on the advanced building solution facility in Drogheda, County Louth; when he expects construction to commence on the facility and any other related details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15293/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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IDA’s regional property programme ensures the continued supply of land, buildings and infrastructure in regional locations to meet the needs of current and prospective clients of IDA, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. The timely provision of appropriate, cost-effective property and infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of Multi-National Companies (MNCs) remains essential to winning Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Under its current Strategy, Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024, the IDA is committed to delivering 19 Advanced Building Solutions or “ABS” across six regions in 15 locations whilst also working with Local Authorities on advance planning permissions for additional building solutions. This includes the delivery of an Advanced Building Solution at Mell Drogheda, Co Louth, where IDA Ireland holds a circa 19-hectare landbank, to help position Drogheda and the wider Mid-East region as an attractive location for FDI investments. In this regard, I am advised that the planning application has been lodged with the Local Authority (Louth County Council) for the Advanced Building Solution in Drogheda and IDA awaits this decision. It is not possible to confirm when construction will commence in the absence of this planning decision.

Over the past years, IDA’s Regional Property Programme has enabled the winning of capital-intensive projects of significant scale to regional locations. IDA will continue to work with commercial property developers and Local Authorities to market other property solutions across all regions, including, of course, the Mid-East and Drogheda .

FDI performance in the Mid-East Region, which comprises counties Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, has been strong, with IDA Ireland client company employment in the region growing by 10% over the last five years. There are 113 IDA client companies in the Mid-East Region, employing 21,861 people. County Louth is home to 36 IDA Ireland client companies directly employing 4,485 people.

In recent years, IDA Ireland supported companies specifically including Yapstone, Becton Dickinson and ITRenew in Drogheda, and Simply NUC in Dunleer, and ABB, Panasonic Avionics, Kaseya, Prometric, Hiab (Cargotec) and TrustLabs Inc have announced investments and expansions for Co. Louth which has driven the demand for property solutions.