Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy says the 2015 county breakdown on IDA Ireland job figures debunks the Government’s claim that it is spreading FDI jobs fairly across the whole country.
“In a recent Parliamentary Question reply that my party colleague Niall Collins TD received from Minister Mitchell O’Connor, the county by county data shows that of the 187,056 persons employed in IDA supported companies in 2015, shockingly 18 counties, nearly 70% of the state, accounted for less than 2% of total jobs. The figures show that there were only 936 IDA jobs in County Roscommon in 2015 which accounts for a shocking 0.5% of the overall figure which clearly indicates that the area has been severely neglected.
“Foreign Direct Investment acts as a significant engine in the Irish economy by providing highly skilled jobs and indirect employment to local domestic businesses nationwide.”
“In turn FDI companies, support secondary, indigenous companies located in, and around, FDI businesses. The work of the IDA is to be applauded for continuing to attract FDI to Ireland.”
“Despite this, the annual regional figures over 2012-2015 clearly reveal a consistent pattern. Under a Fine Gael led government, almost 50% of all IDA supported jobs over this period were concentrated in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).”
“The previous Government denied the existence of a two-tier recovery, but these figures paint a damming picture. The Minister needs to accept the reality that her government has failed the Ireland that exists outside the M50, and needs to prioritise FDI-investment in counties outside the Greater Dublin Area.”
“Fianna Fáil will be keeping a close eye on whether the regional action jobs plans deliver for all communities nationwide and if regional job targets in the programme for government are fully realised,” concluded Eugene Murphy.