Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of jobs in IDA supported companies in Meath at the end of March 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21403/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Latest figures available from the Annual Employment Survey indicate that there were 3,047 people employed in IDA supported companies in County Meath in 2024, across 16 client companies, an increase of 19% on 2023. There has been a 54% increase in employment in FDI clients in County Meath over the period of IDA’s last strategy, 2021-2024, resulting from a strong investment performance including expansions and in Research Development & Innovation investments.

Recent investments in the county include PCI’s announcement in June last year to construct a new pharmaceutical packaging facility in Stamullen and MSD’s opening of its first biologics facility in Dunboyne in September 2023. IDA is actively engaged with client companies in County Meath, focusing on supporting existing operations as well as new investment opportunities.

The availability of property and infrastructure solutions can be the key differentiator in winning Foreign Direct Investment projects as well as investment by Irish owned companies. IDA has Business and Technology Parks with available lands in Navan (65 acres) and Drogheda (8 acres) and the strong FDI performance in the county will be leveraged as IDA continues to market Meath as a location for further FDI investment utilising its global network of overseas offices.

In its new Strategy, the IDA’s Regional Building Programme 2025+ will deliver 12 new buildings in total throughout Ireland as well as 11 Advance Planning Permits over the period to 2027, including a partnership with Meath County Council for the delivery of an advance planning permit for an Advanced Technology Building in Navan to advance the location from an attractiveness perspective.

I am confident that Meath will remain an attractive location for inward investment building on the proactive and constructive engagement between IDA Ireland and Meath County Council, the work of the County's third level education and research providers, and the skills available to potential investors by the talented Meath people.