The State’s Industrial Promotion Agencies must intensify efforts to attract inward investment and assist in job creation in border areas such as Cavan/Monaghan.
Cavan/Monaghan is very heavily dependent on the agri-food, construction products and engineering sectors and these will be impacted adversely by BREXIT. Government agencies must prioritise the creation of jobs in these border areas. The IDA has a substantial landbank at Killygarry, Cavan and such an obvious asset must be utilised and become a prime location for investment.
Below is a reply by the Business, Enterprise and Innovation Minister to the most recent Parliamentary Question I tabled in Dáil Éireann on this issue.
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For Written Answer on : 18/10/2018
Question Number(s): 182 Question Reference(s): 42986/18
Department: Business, Enterprise and Innovation
Asked by: Brendan Smith T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Business; Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 140 of 21 June 2018, if there have been developments in relation to the possible location of an inward investment project at this location; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The IDA Ireland business and technology park in Killygarry, Co. Cavan covers approximately 17 hectares. I understand that approximately 2 hectares of the business park have been allocated for potential indigenous enterprise. The remaining 9 hectares continue to be actively marketed to prospective investors by the IDA.
With respect to Cavan more generally, IDA Ireland markets the County as part of its North-East region, together with Louth and Monaghan. There are currently seven multinational companies in Cavan employing a total of 1,155 people. The Agency has a dedicated regional manager for the North East/North West Region and has an office in the Cavan Innovation and Technology Centre. As part of its strategy to encourage investment to the area the Agency is focusing on sectors including agri-food, manufacturing, tourism, internationally traded services. The IDA also regularly engages with key stakeholders on the ground in Cavan including local authorities, public bodies, the education sector and companies from both its own client base but also from the indigenous sector.