John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the State's efforts to develop industrial enterprise on the former Defence Forces firing range lands at Oranmore, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62173/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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During the lifetime of if its current 2025-2029 strategy, the IDA’s existing Regional Property Programme will deliver 23 projects across 21 locations in 8 regions, primarily manufacturing buildings. The IDA will also continue to invest in its existing property portfolio, including landbanks, business and industrial parks.

This ongoing work is being augmented by the Programme for Government commitment to the development of Next Generation Sites - or NGS - to allow Ireland remain competitive as a potential location for further large-scale, high-value manufacturing opportunities such as major semiconductor and biopharma investments, given the increased level of competition for such valuable FDI. This approach will be “plan-led”, streamlining development and reducing planning risks through the provision of pre-permitted, utility-intensive sites, enabling swift development and certainty for investors.

Each site will be developed in stages, over a number of years, to facilitate incremental investment in the necessary infrastructure. Funding for land acquisition for the first two sites – planned for the West and East of the country - is coming from my Department’s capital allocation under the revised NDP. A third site is planned for the South in future years.

Each NGS development will be undertaken in consultation with Local Authorities as we aim to develop sites of either 1,000 or 500-600 acres, and the identification of suitable lands in each case is a matter for the IDA. I am currently consulting with Government colleagues on various aspects of the initiative, and I expect to be in a position to formally announce further detail in the months ahead. In this regard, I am not in a position to discuss specific site possibilities at this time.