John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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105. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA visits to each of counties Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Roscommon, Galway, Tipperary and Kildare in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the dates and locations of those visits, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31153/25]

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of IDA jobs in each of counties Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Roscommon, Galway, Tipperary and Kildare in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31154/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 106 together.

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.

The new IDA Ireland Strategy "Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29" will direct the focus of IDA Ireland over the coming 5-year period as it seeks to enhance the resilience, productivity, and innovation of Ireland’s FDI base. This strategy reaffirms IDA’s continued focus on the regions, and the Agency is targeting 550 of its target of 1,000 investments (or 55%) to regional locations under its new strategy.

A robust property and infrastructure ecosystem can be the key differentiator in winning FDI projects. The availability of suitable property and strategic sites is a critical component of the regional value proposition and to the winning of investments into the regions from both new name clients and from the existing client base. IDA’s property strategy aims to address regional market failure through investment in enterprise-focused property solutions that meet the needs of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and indigenous clients in support of winning investments. IDA Ireland also partners with Local Authorities for the delivery of advance planning permits in regional locations and invests in significant infrastructure projects across the portfolio of Business and Technology Parks responding to evolving company needs. Furthermore, IDA maintains a focus on acquisition of new landbanks and strategic sites to future proof the ability of the property portfolio in regional locations to support the project pipeline.

This targeted forward planning is vital to provide certainty and ensure Ireland has a competitive offering that meets the evolving needs of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland clients.

The number of IDA facilitated site visits, by county and year requested is set out in the table below.

I should point out that site visits are only one measure of a company’s interest in a particular location and may not necessarily be a true measure of the overall level of foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in a region or county. For example, 70% of FDI won by IDA Ireland in 2024 came from its existing client base, rather than new companies. Also, potential clients visiting Ireland may visit more than one county and may return to a location more than once. The foregoing figures represent individual visits and are therefore not indicative of the number of companies that have visited.

It is also important to recognise that the final decision on where to locate an investment is always decided by the IDA client company, and not by IDA Ireland, and it can take many years to convert from initial site visit to final project proposal. In this regard, regular engagement and collaboration with stakeholders are important in positioning any regional location to attract FDI and, in this respect, IDA Ireland continues to engage with stakeholders as well as working with existing clients in all regional locations to generate additional employment.

As requested, the number of IDA supported jobs by the counties sought by the Deputy for 2022, 2023 and 2024, is set out in the table below:

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on IDA’s plans and progress to replace job losses at a facility (details supplied); the engagement he and the IDA has had with the company since the announcement of its phased closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31155/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Following the announcement by Cardinal Health of its intention to cease operations at the Tullamore site in March 2026, we have actioned our protocols and IDA Ireland is actively engaged with the company, including meetings with Tullamore leadership on-site on a regular basis, and meetings with senior corporate leaders. IDA is also actively exploring all avenues of opportunity for the site and impacted employees as a result of this announcement.

Specifically, IDA is partnering with local agencies, to support employees impacted by the company’s announcement. There is an established process of coordinated engagement by support agencies at a local level to provide supports to employees in consultation with the company. The types of supports and initiatives provided by local agencies has been communicated to the site leadership and can include the following, as appropriate:

• Outplacement employment support services and potential training opportunities may be provided/facilitated by the company and/or other providers (ETBs/Skillnet, etc..) to support impacted employees.
• Provision of a detailed skills profile for the employees on the site; and when individuals will be available, which can be shared with other potential employers.
• Recruitment opportunities through identification and connection with other employers who may be hiring across the locality and wider region.
• In the case of Cardinal Health, marketing of the property solution, when appropriate through agents appointed by the company and by IDA Ireland through its global office network
• Information sessions by the Department of Social Protection's Intreo office for impacted employees on social welfare services and employment support services to support impacted employees’ transition to new employment opportunities.
• Identification and provision of training and further education opportunities for employees (ETBs; Skillnet; Universities).
• Exploring opportunities to start your own business through LEO’s and Enterprise Ireland.

More broadly, the Midlands Region comprises of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Longford where there are 52 IDA client companies in the Midlands Region, employing 8,045 people. There are 1,420 people currently employed in Offaly across 11 IDA-supported companies. The FDI performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 26%. The Midlands has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Life Sciences, Technology, Global Business & Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies.

IDA Ireland enjoys close working relationships with all key stakeholders across the region and is actively involved in a significant number of initiatives across the region to improve the value proposition for FDI – Just Transition, Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Steering Committee, ICT Cluster and ATIM Cluster Steering Committee, Regional Skills Forum, etc.

IDA’s focus over the coming years is to build on the strengths and competencies of the region with a particular focus on high value manufacturing, services and research and development opportunities across a number of established clusters in Life Sciences, Technology, and Global Business Services.

Emerging technology trends have and will continue to create new opportunities across the region in areas such as data analytics, smart manufacturing, cybersecurity and new approaches to working such as co-working hubs.

Regional development continues to be at the centre of IDA’s new strategy. IDA is committed to the pursuit of more balanced, compact regional development which can deliver complementary efficiency and equity gains, with the overall impact of helping to advance national development.

Of course, both Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs are also in a position to support impacted staff depending on their individual needs.

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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108. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current status of a proposed development (details supplied), originally announced in 2022 with an estimated investment of €300 million and the potential to create approximately 1,500 jobs; if he is aware of the reasons for the apparent delay or stalling of the project; whether any departmental engagement has taken place with the stakeholders involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31174/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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IDA Ireland sold a site at IDA Greystones Business Technology Park, Greystones, County Wicklow under a 999-year lease in April 2022 to Greystones Media Campus Owner Ltd. The site was sold at a consideration representing the open market value of the site and the site is also subject to an annual nominal ground rent based on a charge of €32 per hectare with a rent review provision within the 999-year lease. The site was sold pursuant to IDA’s power of sale under the Industrial Development Acts and the IDA typically sells all sites on its business parks to FDI clients and indigenous clients of Enterprise Ireland on this basis. The use of the lands is restricted to manufacturing and/or internationally traded services as specified in the relevant Industrial Development (Service Industries) Order 2010.

Importantly, the 999-year lease contains a development obligation on the part of the tenant and the company secured a 10-year planning permission for a film studio media campus from Wicklow County Council in 2020. In this regard, the IDA continues to engage with the tenant with regard to the proposed development but it remains for the company to disclose its current intentions with regard to its project noting that, as I have indicated, the lease does contain a development obligation.