Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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248. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on the IDA’s plans to increase investment and employment in Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26831/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Regional development is a key element of Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and its agencies including the IDA. IDA Ireland is targeting 550 of a total target of 1,000 investments to regional locations under its new strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29.

County Louth continues to play a significant role in IDA Ireland’s regional investment strategy. As part of the Mid-East Region comprising Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, and Louth the county has seen consistent FDI performance over recent years, supported by strong regional collaboration, a strategic location and targeted investments. IDA Ireland continues to actively engage with local stakeholders and industry groups, including in County Louth, to create a supportive ecosystem for foreign direct investment. This collaboration ensures that regional investments have access to the necessary skills, research capabilities, and business networks. These partnerships are important in fostering a pro-enterprise environment and responding effectively to emerging economic challenges.

Currently, there are 38 IDA client companies in Louth, employing 4,111 people. In 2024, Co. Louth experienced a number of jobs loss announcements in IDA client companies including by Becton Dickinson, Wasdell Ireland and PayPal. In March, Xerox also announced the closure of their facility in Co. Louth to take effect later this year. As a direct consequence, my Department and the IDA are using best endeavours to secure replacement projects notwithstanding that where a new investor decides to locate is ultimately a matter that each company itself decides.

More positively, over the past two years, several companies have announced significant investments in County Louth, including:

• MSD Ireland (January 2025): Acquisition of WuXi Vaccines' Dundalk site, 50 jobs / €500m investment
• Noesis (October 2024): Launch of a new IT Centre of Excellence, 30 jobs
• Anord Mardix (August 2024): Opening of a second facility in Dundalk
• ABB (February 2023): Opening of a new R&D Centre, 30 jobs

IDA Ireland’s approach to further increasing investment and employment in County Louth is multi-faceted and includes partnering with clients to enhance competitiveness and productivity in their Irish operations, attracting new investment and delivering strategic infrastructure that underpins long-term regional growth. I am confident that County Louth remains well positioned for future investment.