Boarded-up, idle, and used to walk the dog: Shame of empty IDA sites

Undeveloped, underused and untenanted — the country is littered with vacant IDA sites seeking to attract foreign direct investment. The situation is particulary stark for rural areas. Pádraig Hoare investigates,

It is 12 years since one of the most significant job and foreign direct investment announcements in the history of the State was made in Cork.

The news of a $1bn (€800m) investment by pharmaceutical company Amgen that would bring more than 1,100 jobs to Carrigtwohill in east Cork was greeted with great fanfare.