Call for new Tullamore IDA park as slight fall in jobs is recorded

Offaly TD Tony McCormack has renewed his call for a new IDA business park in Tullamore, highlighting the town’s dramatic population growth and the fact that the existing IDA park is now full.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Oireachtas National Infrastructure Committee, Deputy McCormack said: “We have an IDA park that is full, and Tullamore's population is increasing dramatically. We need a new IDA park to keep jobs at home.”

McCormack's call came as new figures revealed employment numbers in IDA Ireland-supported companies in the Midlands fell marginally during 2024.

The IDA's annual report showed that job numbers were down 0.45% on the previous year in the Midlands.

The Midlands was one of three of the eight regions to record a decline in IDA jobs – with the Mid East down 3.8%, and the South-West showing a 0.2% fall.

Overall, nationally, there was a very slight increase – up 0.2%, whilst the largest percentage rise (3.1%) took place in the Mid-West.

In 2024, IDA Ireland won 234 investments with associated future job creation of 13,500, of which 137 were regional investments, representing 143% of its target. Employment in IDA Ireland client companies reached 302,566, marking a third consecutive year at a level above 300,000, with regional employment at a record high of 165,484

In response to Deputy McCormack's comments, John Hughes of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment confirmed that Tullamore is one of nine locations included in the IDA’s new strategy to future-proof regional investment – with new procedures for the building of individual advance factories proposed.

He explained: “A number of advance planning permits [are in progress] so that all the planning is in place in collaboration between the IDA and the local authorities. I know there are nine that are proposed in the new IDA strategy—that are Letterkenny, Mayo, Tullamore, Mullingar, Kilkenny, Navan, Portlaoise, Tralee and Roscommon. So they would be nine partnerships between the IDA and the local authority to bring them to the level where planning and permits are in place, and then the appropriate building, depending on who the occupier would be, can be built and fit out in quick order.”

Deputy McCormack welcomed this commitment from the Department.

“This is something I’ve been pushing hard for, because we need to secure real opportunities for Tullamore and Offaly. I’ll keep working every day to make sure we’re ready to welcome new employers and industries so that our young people have the chance to stay and build their futures here,” he said