Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA site visits to County Louth for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively; the location in County Louth where these visits took place, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38101/24]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide a breakdown for listed IDA client companies and IDA-backed client companies with operations in County Louth for each of the years 2020-2024, respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38102/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.

Regional development is a key element of Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and our Agencies. In that regard, IDA Ireland is committed to the pursuit of balanced, compact regional development and is targeting that at least half of all investments - that is 400 of 800 - from 2021 to 2024 to regional locations.

The number of visits to Louth since 2020 are set out below with figures reflecting both in-person and e-visits.

Note: Potential clients visiting Ireland may visit more than one county and may return to a location more than once. These figures represent individual visits and are therefore not indicative of the number of companies that have visited.

The IDA client companies located in County Louth over the years 2020 to 2024 are set out in the table below:

I am, of course, very conscious of recent announcements of job losses in the County by IDA client companies to take effect over the next two and half years, which is extremely disappointing, especially for the staff and their families impacted by the decision.

As part of the Government's regional strategy, we will continue to target new investment for the Region, with Drogheda and Dundalk designated as Regional Growth Centres in both the National Development Plan and Project Ireland 2040.