Questions raised over promotion of Tipperary site as no investor secured
A Fine Gael TD has questioned how actively zoned industrial land in Tipperary is being promoted to new businesses.
Deputy Michael Murphy asked Enterprise Minister Peter Burke in the Dáil if land in Ballingarrane in Clonmel was actively being pushed by the IDA, who own it, to potential businesses.
Planning permission for a 10,000 square foot new building was granted by Tipperary County Council for the site in Clonmel, with the south Tipperary TD asking if there had been any interest from investors in moving into the estate.
In response, Minister Burke said that the IDA were working to promote the Mid West, including Tipperary to international companies looking for an Irish base.
"IDA Ireland is continuing its strong commitment to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI), in regional locations as part of our 2025–29 strategy, Adapt Intelligently, and is targeting 550 investments of FDI projects outside Dublin over the strategy’s lifetime,” he said.
“Furthermore, IDA Ireland is positioning the Mid West, including Tipperary, as a competitive destination for global investment and is targeting 100 of these 550 investments for the Mid West,” Minister Burke added.
Minister Burke said the grant of planning permission for a 10,000 sq ft building gives flexibility to any future investor to construct the building according to their needs, or to go back and seek planning permission for something different.
"This advanced planning permission allows maximum flexibility to the potential client, whereby they can avail of the permission or amend it to suit their specific requirements, subject to further planning permission,” he said.
The IDA is “aggressively” marketing Ballingarrane, Minister Burke said, but added that a timeline for construction to begin would depend on when a client is secured.
Despite these assurances from the Minister, Deputy Murphy said that it was encouraging to see foreign direct investment levels rise across Ireland, but that he was disappointed that none of these companies set up in Ballingarrane.
"As the Minister said, this is a fully-serviced, strategically located land bank of more than 50 acres. It is in IDA ownership for more than 25 years,” Deputy Murphy said.
"Clonmel has a strong track record in terms of delivery, multinational employers, a skilled workforce and a reputation for reliability. Why has it taken so long to get to this point?” he asked.
In response, the Minister said that between Enterprise Ireland and the IDA, they had more than 100 clients in Tipperary, who employ more than 12,000 people across the county.
"Those exceptional clients in Clonmel and Tipperary as a whole create a solid ecosystem that makes it attractive for other clients to come into the region,” he said.
Deputy Michael Murphy said he intends to continue raising the issue until a client is found.