The CEO of Shannon Chamber insists the decline in IDA site visits to Clare is no cause for concern.
A total of 514 visits were conducted by the Industrial Development Agency nationally last year, but the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has revealed that for the first time since 2020, fewer than 20 of those were in Clare.
Helen Downes is reassuring that the region is retaining existing companies and attracting new investment, while the Shannon Airport Group is continuing to build infrastructure to support a new pipeline of future growth.
There are currently 67 IDA client companies in Clare, employing 6,139 people directly, and the Shannon Chamber CEO is confident the future outlook is positive.
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Statement From IDA Ireland
It’s important to note that site visits are only one measure of a company’s interest in particular locations and may not necessarily be a true indication of the overall level of foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in a region or county. For example, almost 70% of FDI won by IDA Ireland came from its existing client base, rather than new companies. In addition, potential clients visiting Ireland may visit more than one county and may return to a location more than once.
IDA Ireland continues to market County Clare as a location for new investments including showcasing the county through site visits. IDA is also actively engaged with the base of existing 67 IDA client companies in Clare to support their continued transformation and growth. These companies currently employ 6,139 people directly. These numbers have increased in the past two years.
Examples of companies expanding in County Clare include:
OLED-PPG – Shannon – Opened new manufacturing site to produce OLED materials in May 2023 with initial investment of €10 million and 100 jobs announced.
Lufthansa – Expansion of its business in Ireland with the opening of a new 2,000 M2 facility in Shannon and 25 new jobs announced in January 2023
The final decision on where to locate an investment is always decided by the client and not by IDA Ireland and can take considerable time to convert from initial site visit to final project proposal. Regular engagement and collaboration with stakeholders are important in positioning any regional location to attract FDI and, in this respect, IDA Ireland continues to engage with stakeholders and with existing clients in all regional locations to generate additional jobs.
Mid-West Region:
IDA Ireland markets County Clare as part of the Mid West Region, which is home to 158 IDA client companies employing 28,125 directly. In addition, an estimated additional 22,500 jobs are supported indirectly by the presence of FDI in the region. Over the past 5 years (2020-2025), FDI employment in the region has increased by +4,393 jobs (+18.5%) while over the past ten years – the net increase in employment has been +9,595 jobs (+51.8%)
The economic impact of FDI is captured through the Annual Business Survey of Impact and Expenditure (ABSEI), 2024 which estimated that FDI in the Mid West Region generated €2,839m comprising €1,979m in payroll and €860m in the purchase of Irish good and services.
