Cathal Crowe
Question:163. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the targets in place to increase FDI in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45632/26]
View answerTuesday, 16 June 2026
Questions (163)
Written answers
Foreign Direct Investment is a key element of our economic strategy and my Department is focused on ensuring Ireland has the most competitive environment for the attraction and retention of inward investment at the cutting edge of innovation.
IDA Ireland’s mandate is well-known, responsible for attracting and retaining mobile FDI to Ireland in support of well-paid employment opportunities across the country. Central to IDA Ireland's current strategy, ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025-29' is an emphasis on partnering with existing clients to increase the competitiveness of their Irish operations and safeguard and strengthen long-term investment in Ireland through investment in research, development & innovation digitalisation, talent development and sustainability. The strategy also aims to attract new investment in the key future-orientated sectors of digitalisation and AI, semiconductors, health, and sustainability.
As part of the strategy IDA Ireland aims to secure 1,000 investments which will:
• Secure €7bn in new RD&I investment
• Deliver 550 regional investments
• Reduce IDA client carbon emissions by 35%
• Create 75,000 jobs
• Upskill 40,000 people
This in turn will support IDA Ireland client spending in Ireland of €250bn over the lifetime of the strategy on wages, Irish goods and services, and capital investment, providing further opportunity and economic impact across local supply chains.
2025 represented a strong start to the new strategy. IDA Ireland achieved record project approval levels, driven primarily by a significant increase in transformation investments, across research, development and innovation (RD&I), talent development and sustainability. This performance reflects the strategy’s focus on deepening engagement with existing clients and supporting investments that strengthen innovation capacity, skills and long-term competitiveness.
In 2025, performance against the 4 strategic objectives of the IDA strategy was as follows:
Strengthen long-term investment: 323 projects and 15,319 jobs were approved in 2025. Made up of 78 New Names, 68 expansions and 66 talent development projects with 33,420 people to be upskilled.
Scale cutting-edge innovation: 80 RD&I projects approved, with an associated spend of €2.5bn- the highest level on record.
Maximise regional opportunities: 183 investments were won outside of Dublin, the highest number on record.
Drive sustainable change: 50 sustainability projects were approved, of which 31 targeted carbon abatement, committing to reduce 44,035 tonnes of Scope 1 CO2.
IDA's mid-year 2026 results will be announced in early July. IDA continues to promote Ireland as a world leader in FDI opportunities and supports. The strategy places strong emphasis on innovation, talent development, and sustainability to ensure that businesses in Ireland remain competitive and future focused. Balanced regional development also remains a key priority for Government, my Department and the IDA, ensuring that the benefits of FDI are shared widely across the country. IDA Ireland will continue to work closely with stakeholders and clients to ensure the creation of high-quality jobs and to support a balanced and sustainable distribution of economic benefits across all regions of the country.
Notwithstanding the serious global challenges and uncertainties on the path ahead, FDI is well placed to remain a vital contributor to Ireland’s prosperity and future success. While investing overseas can significantly enhance a company’s growth prospects, it is also an inherently risky undertaking. In this context, Ireland has established its reputation and track record as a trusted partner to companies from all over the world on their investment journeys for decades, providing stability and certainty through periods of adversity, success, and constant change.
I would like to assure the Deputy that neither the Government nor IDA Ireland takes this investment for granted and we continue to work hard so that Ireland remains an attractive location for investment now and in the years to come. The Government is fully aware of the competitiveness challenge the country faces as it competes for foreign direct investment and we are taking action to ensure these challenges are addressed. This should be apparent from the updated National Development Plan, the Competitiveness Action Plan, the Government’s infrastructure priorities, as well as the pro-enterprise Budget measures announced last October.