There’s a line from Limerick to Cork which the IDA does not cross.
That’s according to Fine Gael councillor Jim Finucane, who said the council needs to end its reliance on the IDA to secure investment in Kerry.
Cllr Finucane was speaking at the recent Tralee Municipal District meeting.
Cllr Jim Finucane said the council needs to know if the IDA will be lodging a planning application for a second advanced technology building in Tralee, and when it will do so.
The IDA committed to building a second facility in the town 18 months ago, but in May of this year, Tánaiste and Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Leo Varadkar, said the agency was still selecting a site.
Cllr Finucane said the IDA did not cover itself in glory with the utilisation of its first advanced technology building, which has lain mostly empty since it was constructed.
Central Pharma announced it would be moving into the building in 2018, but this has been delayed several times.
Cllr Jim Finucane said Kerry County Council needs to bypass the IDA and talk to businesses directly to attract them to Tralee, as its reliance on the IDA is simply not working.
He referenced social media company TikTok, which recently announced it would create 1,000 new jobs in Ireland, as an example of a company the council should try and attract to Kerry.
Independent councillor Sam Locke agreed with Cllr Finucane and said it was time to take initiative, as the IDA is not supporting their efforts, while Fianna Fáil councillor Johnnie Wall said when it comes to the IDA, you can forget about it.
