1008. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide a breakdown of IDA Ireland visits to Clare, Galway, North Tipperary and Limerick in 2025 and to date in 2026 by county, in tabular form. [56291/26]

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, IDA Ireland is continuing its strong commitment to regional development as one of four key strategic objectives of its 2025–2029 strategy, "Adapt Intelligently". This ambitious strategy aims to secure 550 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside Dublin, accounting for 55% of the 1,000 investments targeted over that period.

IDA Ireland utilises a range of strategies to maximise dispersal of FDI nationally. IDA’s regional focus leverages the wider demographic catchment of a region, the track record of existing client companies already located in the region, the presence of third-level universities to provide a skilled talent pipeline for companies investing in the region, and the availability of property and developed infrastructure assets. IDA’s regional development strategy and regional investment targets are aligned with Government policy, including Ireland 2040 and the National Planning Framework.

In that regard, Galway is marketed as part of the West region while counties Clare, Tipperary and Limerick are marketed as part of the Mid-West region. There are 133 IDA client companies in the West Region, employing 32,562 people and 158 IDA client companies in the Mid-West Region, employing 28,125 people.  Both regions have repeatedly attracted significant investment across all sectors and activities with prominent investment in Technology, Life Sciences, Consumer & Business Services International Financial Services, Content, and Engineering & Industrial Technologies.

As the Deputy is aware, the availability of suitable property and strategic sites is a critical component of the regional value proposition and can be the key differentiator in investment decisions in the regions from both new and existing clients as well as clients of Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs. Through its Regional Property Programme, IDA aims to provide agile, sustainable, flexible property solutions, providing certainty to clients in advance of demand.

I would note that the IDA reports site visit data at county level only and in response to the Deputy’s request the table below outlines the number of IDA facilitated site visits for 2025 & 2026 in counties Galway, Clare Tipperary and Limerick.

*Latest data available

IDA site visits are only one measure of a company’s interest in a particular location and may not necessarily be a true measure of the overall level of foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in a region or county.  For example, 70% of FDI won by IDA Ireland in 2024 came from its existing client base, rather than new companies. Also, potential clients visiting Ireland may visit more than one county and may return to a location more than once.  It should also be noted that the final decision on where to locate an investment is always decided by the client, and not by IDA Ireland, and it can take many years to convert from initial site visit to final project proposal.

IDA Ireland continues to collaborate closely with national and local stakeholders to foster the conditions necessary for enterprise, innovation, and job creation in both regions. The IDA’s ongoing focus is to build on the strengths of the West and Mid-West, with particular emphasis on high-value manufacturing, services, and research and development opportunities.

I must also stress that, ultimately, individual investors decide which counties to visit, and where to locate their investments.