IDA to increase focus on spreading investment

Significant attention will be paid, by IDA Ireland, to dispersing incoming foreign investment around regional areas, outside of Dublin and Cork, over the next five years.

The IDA is due to publish a fresh inward investment blueprint plan, for the next five years, in the coming weeks.

Speaking yesterday at the publication of the development agency’s end-of-year report for 2014, new chief executive Martin Shanahan said more attention would be given to promoting a broader regional spread of foreign direct investment (FDI), but noted a 7% increase — to 37% — in the level of investment being made outside of the main two cities in 2014, the best performance of the past five years.