Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans for development of the vacant IDA site in Fermoy, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62241/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Regional Development is a key focus of our Programme for Government and is central to the work of my Department and our enterprise development agencies. In this regard, Regional Development is one of four key strategic objectives of the IDA 2025–2029 strategy, "Adapt Intelligently" with a commitment to secure 550 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside Dublin - 55% of all planned investments. Additionally, the overarching goal is to create 75,000 new jobs nationwide and generate a projected €250 billion in economic impact with the IDA having set ambitious targets for every region in Ireland.

Furthermore, 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. In this regard, IDA Ireland’s property strategy aims to address regional market failure through investment in enterprise-focused property solutions that meet the needs of multinational companies 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 as well as investing in significant infrastructure projects across its portfolio of Business and Technology Parks responding to evolving company needs. Furthermore, IDA Ireland 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.

Cork County is home to 76 IDA client companies, primarily manufacturing operations, employing 23,241 which accounts for 45% of total employment in the South West. Currently, these companies are located across twenty locations in Cork County, including Fermoy, highlighting the positive impact of FDI across the county.

The IDA has over 280 hectares of lands available for marketing to IDA and EI clients in Cork. The presence of strategic landbanks in several locations in Cork positions the greater Cork area for new Greenfield opportunities, which if successful will benefit Cork city and county and the wider South-West region. This is complemented by private sector activity in the development of manufacturing and office property solutions in the greater Cork are

The Fermoy Business Park is maintained as part of IDA Ireland’s property portfolio and is available to accommodate investment and development by IDA clients and clients of Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices. The vacant 8-hectare site in Fermoy is part of IDA’s overall strategic landbank portfolio in Cork offering greenfield sites of c. 6Ha to suit both manufacturing and international services clients, in a landscaped and serviced environment and is available to support IDA and Enterprise Ireland clients with appropriate services in place to accommodate same. In that regard, IDA continues to proactively market the site to suitable qualifying client companies. IDA Ireland is committed to the continued promotion of the lands at Fermoy for development for employment-generating uses consistent with its development brief. IDA Ireland continues to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that a supportive ecosystem is in place to assist IDA in winning investments into the Cork region.