Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
152. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the additional supports being provided to attract employment to rural towns in Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29607/26]
View answerMy Department is working with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the LEOs to attract employment to rural counties such as Mayo.
Enterprise Ireland supports such employment growth through its regionally balanced enterprise development model, working with Irish-owned companies to start, compete, scale and connect from locations throughout the county. In Mayo, 93 Enterprise Ireland-supported companies employed 6,543 people in 2025, representing a net employment increase of 132 jobs (+2.1%) over the year, demonstrating sustained job creation in a predominantly rural county.
This regional impact is underpinned by targeted financial and capability supports, with Enterprise Ireland payments to companies in Mayo increasing from €2.34 million in 2024 to €2.94 million in 2025, reflecting continued investment in job-sustaining and job-creating enterprises.
Enterprise Ireland’s approach also focuses on building a pipeline of future employment through entrepreneurship and regional collaboration. While the New Frontiers programme in the West region supported 66 participants at Phases 1 and 13 start-ups at Phase 2, providing early-stage founders with funding, mentoring and workspace to develop scalable businesses in rural locations.
Enterprise Ireland continues to work in partnership with Local Authorities, the Local Enterprise Offices and the West Regional Enterprise Plan, supporting enterprise infrastructure, innovation and competitiveness to ensure that employment growth in Mayo and the wider West region is sustainable and regionally dispersed.
In addition, the Local Enterprise Office in Mayo offers a range of complementary supports to entrepreneurs and budding entrepreneurs. The supports range from providing an initial "First Stop Shop" service where individuals can receive advice on the steps involved in setting up a business, to the provision of grants for feasibility studies, provision of financial support for the establishment of new businesses or expansion of existing ones and the provision of a range of soft supports such as training and mentoring.
The range of supports offered are designed to assist businesses to grow stronger and increase employment by being able to provide targeted and appropriate assistance at each stage of their development.
IDA Ireland has 133 client companies in the West Region (Galway, Mayo and Roscommon) employing 32,562 people. There are 16 IDA client companies in County Mayo employing 5,507 jobs. The FDI performance in the region has been consistent over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 16%. The West has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Life Sciences, Engineering, International Financial Services, Content, Consumer & Business Services, and Technology.
Maximising the contribution of FDI nationally has and continues to be a key focus of IDA Ireland in seeking to spread the benefits of FDI across Ireland including Mayo and the West region.
Under its current strategy ‘Adapt Intelligently 2025-29,’ launched in February 2025, IDA Ireland is targeting 1,000 client investments, with 550 (55%) in regional locations outside Dublin. In the West Region, IDA will target 100 investments from 2025-2029. This ambitious target reflects IDA Ireland’s ongoing commitment to supporting transformation and growth across all regions.
Under the strategy, IDA Ireland will continue to market the West Region through its overseas offices to target mobile FDI opportunities. IDA Ireland will target the Life Sciences, Engineering, International Financial Services, Content, Consumer & Business Services, and Technology sectors for investment opportunities across areas including RD&I, advanced manufacturing, global business services, and technology development.
IDA’s regional focus provides the best opportunities to showcase locations to win investments by overseas companies based on their requirements and in doing so results in employment opportunities across a wide catchment.
IDA has a regional development team located in the region actively engaged with a range of stakeholders and clients including those in Mayo, to strengthen the foreign direct investment proposition of Mayo and to support the delivery of sustainable, high-quality employment across the county. In addition, IDA has a national dedicated IDA strategic property team focused on enhancing the property assets across all regions, including the West Region.
IDA will continue to focus on supporting their client companies in Mayo and across the West region to deliver continue economic impact and continues to support the winning of additional investments to sustain existing employment and secure new employment opportunities.
