A quarter of all industrial units planned for Balbriggan Business Park have been sold in advance of the launch by the developer Howard Holdings. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was told the good news of the sales when he attended a sod turning ceremony last Friday at the site, which is located just off the M1 motorway extension that now by-passes Balbriggan. Joint agents Christies says there has been "phenomenal" interest in the park, which will have 24 high-tech business and light industrial units in the first phase, each of 2,200 sq ft. The second phase will have a range of advance industrial units with between 8,000 and 45,000 sq ft, bringing the total development to between 200,000 and 250,000 sq ft.

The agents are quoting £70 per sq ft for the next few units, which will be completed early in 1999. The first units booked by local businesses are two single buildings and two double units. Frank Gormley, chairman of Howard Holdings, says locations like Balbriggan are extremely hard to find, and he feared that a shortage of industrial space would eventually put a squeeze on small industrialists.

Howard Holdings is to offer £50,000 to Balbriggan for sporting or recreational facilities, and says it would want this sum to be matched by a number of other bodies, such as Fingal County Council and the Chamber of Commerce.