Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department and/or agencies under its auspices had any engagement with a company (details supplied) with regard to plans it has recently abandoned to establish a large aircraft maintenance facility at Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50518/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Enterprise Ireland are in regular contact with the company in question regarding its operations in Ireland. While Enterprise Ireland are always keen to explore opportunities to support investment and employment, the details of any such discussions with individual client companies are commercially sensitive. I am therefore not in a position to comment on the specifics of any discussions with the company in question at this time.

Enterprise Ireland will continue to work closely with the company and relevant stakeholders to ensure that Ireland remains an attractive location for future growth.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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41. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports being put in place to attract new employers to County Meath and the surrounding region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50676/25]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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47. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if there are specific zones or industrial parks planned for County Meath to accommodate growing demand from businesses and enterprises looking to relocate outside of Dublin into feeder and satellite towns in bordering counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50685/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 47 together.

Regional development is a key element of our national 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. In this regard, IDA Ireland has reaffirmed its strong commitment to regional development as a core pillar of its 2025–2029 strategy, 'Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation'. This ambitious strategy aims to secure 550 investments outside Dublin, accounting for 55% of all planned investments to 2029. Likewise, Enterprise Ireland remains firmly committed to driving balanced regional development as a cornerstone of its 2025–2029 strategy 'Delivering for Ireland, Leading Globally'. Enterprise Ireland aims to grow employment in client companies to 275,000, with a strong emphasis on regional job creation and scaling indigenous businesses across all counties.

IDA’s strategy focuses on partnering with the existing FDI base to retain and renew their Irish operations alongside an ongoing focus on identifying new opportunities associated with FDI growth drivers including AI & digital, semiconductors, sustainability and health. In practical terms this means supporting clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations through investment in RD&I, digitalisation, talent development and sustainability. Grant support totalling c€4.8m was provided to IDA clients, and c €5.9m to EI clients in Meath in 2024.

The IDA Mid-East Region, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, is home to 82 IDA client companies employing 16,700 people, 16 of which are in Meath, employing 3,047 people. Enterprise Ireland has 207 plants employing 9,034 people. IDA Ireland continues to deliver a competitive property offering to attract FDI and support the growth and expansion of domestic clients within the Enterprise Ireland portfolio and Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) clients. In that regard, I am advised that there are approximately 97.22 hectares of available lands across IDA Business Parks in the Mid-East region, with c. 17.9 hectares of lands available in IDA’s Navan Business and Technology Park.

IDA continues to work with regional stakeholders and the private sector on opportunities to add to the supply of competitive property solutions in the Mid-East Region. Under its current strategy IDA has committed to deliver an Advance Planning Permit for an Advance Building Solution in Meath in partnership with Meath County Council and continues to engage with Meath County Council in respect of the proposed design and site location.

Innovative, ambitious start-ups are the bedrock of the Irish economy and will form the foundations of future enterprise success. Enterprise Ireland, in partnership with the 31 LEOs including Meath LEO and the wider enterprise and innovation ecosystem, aims to stimulate and foster the next generation of Irish enterprise successes by supporting ambitious start-ups to access finance, build capacity, and grow domestically and internationally. Enterprise Ireland is an active member of the Mid-East Regional Enterprise Plan process which has brought together stakeholders in the Mid-East to develop initiatives focused on driving enterprise growth in the region and continues to invest in supporting infrastructure, innovation hubs, and collaborative projects that strengthen regional enterprise ecosystems. The Boyne Valley Food Hub in Meath which opened mid 2023 is one such example.

The 2025 New Frontiers programme for the Midlands & Mid-East Region, funded by Enterprise Ireland to support local start-ups and managed on behalf of Enterprise Ireland by TUS in partnership with Maynooth University, attracted 103 participants this year, 14 of which have been selected to progress to Phase 2, from October. The programme supports high potential start-ups from the Midlands & Mid-East counties with mentoring, hot-desk space and a €15,000 stipend to allow exploration of their new business idea.

The Mid-East region has a mature FDI ecosystem within Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services, and Engineering & Industrial Technologies sectors and the IDA is actively engaged with client companies in the county, focusing on supporting their existing operation as well as attracting new investment opportunities. IDA continues to market Meath as a location for further investment utilising its global network of overseas offices. There is also a strong focus on the food sector and food businesses in Meath, and the Boyne Valley Food Innovation District, Meath Enterprise Centre and the local County Council are strong promoters and supporters of this eco-system within the county.

Remote working and local job creation are a key focus with respect to the high amount of county residents commuting to Dublin each day. Conversely, Meath also captures some business from Dublin companies looking for more space and lower rents close by.

Based on all of the above, I have every confidence that Meath will remain an attractive location for both foreign and domestic investment and continue to be a thriving entrepreneurial hotspot well into the future.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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42. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans in place to create more opportunities in order that persons can work closer to home in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50677/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Balanced regional enterprise development is a key focus for my Department and for the Government. I appreciate the important role of enterprise centres and remote working hubs throughout the country. They enable people to live and work in their local communities and provide a range of services to support companies and entrepreneurs to establish and grow their businesses. The Government has invested significantly in the development of these facilities, and we remain committed to further support for the sector.

Through programmes such as Connected Hubs and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, and working in partnership with local authorities and communities, substantial funding has been provided through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to support remote working hubs. A significant number of the funded projects are making use of buildings that had previously been vacant or derelict.

Our Rural Future committed to the establishment of a network of 400 remote working hubs across the country over the lifetime of the policy. ConnectedHubs.ie, the online booking and payments platform for remote working spaces, was launched in mid-2021. As of 1 September 2025 there are 393 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform, including seven in County Meath. Details of all the onboarded hubs are available on ConnectedHubs.ie.

In close cooperation with my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht is leading on development of the first Strategy for the National Hub Network. The Strategy, to be published this year, will present a coherent and whole-of-government approach to the future development of remote working and enterprise hubs through the National Hub Network.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has focused specifically on supporting enterprise hubs and centres, as distinct from co-working hubs. These provide enterprise development activities rather than a remote working focus. Since 2017, my Department has allocated more than €150 million to support regional enterprise development initiatives, including many enterprise centres and hubs, across the country through Enterprise Ireland schemes, such as the Regional and the Border Enterprise Development Funds. The Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme, co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund and administered by Enterprise Ireland, is currently open for applications.

While they are independent, the Government also will continue to work with the local authorities to deliver projects that support regional development. The local authorities have supported many of the enterprise hubs delivered to date, as project partners or through direct funding contributions.

Investment in Ireland’s hub infrastructure reflects the Government's broader commitment to creating more opportunities for people to work closer home. My Department oversaw development and successful implementation of all 15 actions outlined in the 2021 National Remote Work Strategy, and legislated for the right of all workers to request the right to work remotely through the Work Life Balance Act and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, re-affirms this commitment to promoting flexible and remote working arrangements that benefit both workers and employers, bringing access to good quality jobs close to home for people in communities throughout Ireland, including in County Meath.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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43. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps being taken to ensure that rural enterprises and businesses in County Meath remain funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50678/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Developing Ireland’s enterprise base remains a key focus for Government and my Department is committed to backing small businesses and start-ups, to help them to scale up and grow into exporting entities in every county across the country.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring Local Enterprise Offices are fully resourced to support local businesses. The importance of continuing to fund the LEOs is reflected in the steady increase in the annual budget allocation over the 11 years since their establishment, with a Capital allocation of over €50 million provided in 2025.

As part of the annual budget process, my Department works closely with Enterprise Ireland LEO Centre of Excellence and the Local Authorities to ensure that each of the enterprise development bodies are resourced appropriately to deliver on their mandates. This includes ensuring that each LEOs is adequately resourced to provide the full range of LEO grants, consultancies and training supports.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Meath continues to play an extremely important role, as part of this supportive ecosystem, providing their services direct to small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship within towns and communities across the county.

The LEO contributes to the development of economic strategies such as the Local Economic and Community Plans and ensures that an enterprise perspective is brought to bear on various Local Authority and regional plans and frameworks.

The LEO offers direct grant assistance to small businesses, specifically designed for growth or exporting, aimed at small businesses in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. The LEO provide training and advice on entrepreneurship and helping businesses to start, grow and deal with the challenges of running a business.

To assist small and medium enterprises to tackle the rising cost of doing business the LEOs provide consultancy and grants, in the areas of Lean, Green, and Digital, to small businesses in all sectors. These supports focus on enhancing productivity and improving competitiveness in all small businesses.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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44. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the procedures in place to encourage foreign direct investment into County Meath given its proximity to Dublin and transport links to cities like Belfast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50679/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Foreign Direct Investment is a key element of our economic strategy, with investments by IDA Ireland client companies consistently generating highly skilled jobs nationwide and very considerable exchequer returns. My Department works closely with IDA Ireland and other stakeholders to ensure a strong pipeline of foreign direct investment into Ireland.

Regional development is a key element of the 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 IDA Ireland. In 2024, IDA Ireland recorded record employment levels with 1,830 client companies employing 302,355 individuals directly, including 165,484 roles based in regional locations. Investment continues to be strong in 2025, as reflected in the announcement of 179 new projects by IDA Ireland during the first half of 2025, which are expected to create more than 10,000 jobs—over half of which will be situated in regional areas.

In February this year, IDA Ireland launched its new strategy, Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29. Under this strategy, IDA Ireland will target 1,000 investments, with 550 in regional locations outside Dublin. This ambitious target reflects IDA Ireland’s ongoing commitment to support transformation and growth in the regions.

Balanced regional development is also a government priority for Meath, along with the counties of Kildare and Wicklow which comprise the Mid East Regional Enterprise Plan. This Plan was developed and led by regional stakeholders, and focuses on collaborative initiatives to strengthen the enterprise ecosystem in the region.

There has been a 61% increase in employment in FDI clients in County Meath over the last 5 years, resulting from a strong investment performance including expansions in Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) investments. There are 16 IDA supported companies in Meath which employ 3,047 in total. Key IDA clients in the county include MSD, PCI Pharma, Utmost Paneurope, Unilin, ArcRoyal, Meta, Alltech Biotechnology Centre, Coca Cola and Amazon Data Centre.

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.

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 Government is fully aware of the competitiveness challenge the country faces as it competes for foreign direct investment. We are taking the necessary steps to position Ireland for the future, and we will continue to place costs, planning, energy and R&D at the centre of our forward-looking policy making – all reflected in policy commitments in the new Programme for Government and the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which the Government is supporting food producers and agricultural businesses in County Meath to expand into export markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50680/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This Government is actively supporting food and drink manufacturers in County Meath to expand into export markets through a combination of funding, innovation support, infrastructure development, and ecosystem collaboration.

My Department, through our agency Enterprise Ireland (EI), provides tailored supports for food and beverage companies, including export development funding, market research and access programmes, innovation and R&D grants, and digital transformation and sustainability supports. In 2024, EI paid over €5.8 million to client companies in county Meath, including clients in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. These financial supports are designed to help companies scale, innovate, and compete globally.

The importance of R&D and innovation cannot be underestimated in such a globally competitive sector and, although a world leader in food and beverage production, Ireland must continue to lead from the front. In 2024, Enterprise Ireland-supported food and drink companies invested €166 million in R&D, with over 100 companies investing more than €100,000 each. This investment helps:

• Develop new products for international markets
• Improve production efficiency
• Adopt technologies like AI, biotechnology, and smart manufacturing