Only one IDA site visit to Meath in 2024

Just one of the 466 site visits by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) investors hosted by the IDA was to Meath last year, it has emerged.

Cllr Peter Caffrey brought forward a motion at a meeting of Meath County Council in relation to the poor ranking of Meath for IDA site visits and called for action.

"Given recent figures which saw no IDA visits to North Meath and a poor overall ranking for Meath, I call on Meath County Council to address this by prioritising investment in infrastructure and skills to sustain future employment from both local and multinational companies," was the motion tabled by the Oldcastle councillor.

He said Meath ranked poorly compared to neighbouring county and he would like to see a push to get more visits and more investment especially in north Meath.

"There is a brochure for the county but unfortunately whoever did the brochure didn't put Oldcastle in it and I hope it is put into the new brochure they are doing.

"The rates that come in in Meath compared to Kildare or Louth is way down, there is no reason why we can't get more IDA business and more investment into the county from FDI companies," said Cllr Caffrey.

He also commented that it was exactly 50 years since the last FDI investment in Oldcastle.

In its written response to the motion, the council confirmed that there had been just one IDA visit in Meath last year by FDI investors and detailed some of the actions being taken to address this. The council responded that it has commenced a series of regular engagements with both the IDA and Enterprise Ireland to ensure Meath is considered when recommending potential locations to such investors.

"The Economic Development section is also proactively trying to address the issue and has produced a strategic employment sites brochure in-house, highlighting to potential developers large areas fo appropriately zoned land across the county."

The council said it was preparing a FDI marketing brochure highlighting the reasons why businesses would succeed if they locate in Meath, focusing on assets including its world class workforce, infrastructure and connectivity, pro-business ecosystem and quality of life and was also launching the Thrive Centre of Business Excellence.