Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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53. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs in IDA supported companies in Kerry at the end of March 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21417/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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There are 2,070 people currently employed in Kerry, across 16 IDA-supported companies. Overall, there are 235 IDA client companies in the South-West Region, comprised of counties Cork and Kerry, employing 51,968 people. The FDI performance in the region has been positive over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 17%.

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 of these sectors over a sustained period which has contributed significantly to employment growth and positive economic impacts on other sectors of the economy.

Recent developments in Kerry include the commencement of construction by Astellas Ireland of its new €330 million, state-of-the-art facility at Kerry Technology Park, Tralee. May 2023, saw the launch of a major research partnership between Liebherr and LERO to further develop smart systems for the next generation of Container Cranes in Killarney, Co. Kerry.

A competitive property offering can be a key factor in investment decisions and is a core objective of IDA, delivered through its Regional Property Programme to support Foreign Direct Investment and the growth and expansion of indigenous clients of both Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Office clients. Under its new strategy ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-2029’, the IDA’s Regional Building Programme 2025+ will deliver 12 new buildings in total throughout the country as well as 11 Advance Planning Permits over the period to 2027, including a partnership with Kerry County Council for the delivery of an advance planning permit for an Advanced Technology Building in Tralee.