The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Ms Harney, has said she is "very optimistic" that a foreign investor will be found to compensate for expected job losses at Fruit of the Loom in Donegal. Ms Harney said the IDA had already arranged a number of site visits to Donegal. "The level of interest shown by a number of potential investors has been such that I am very optimistic." The Tanaiste said the development of Derry airport would be crucial in attracting new investment to Donegal and while the airport was not in her jurisdiction, she had held discussions with Ryanair on the possibility of the company starting low-cost flights out of Derry.
Ms Harney was speaking at Sligo Regional Airport, where she met members of the airport board over plans to develop an enterprise park.
She admitted the north-west region had fallen behind other parts of the country in attracting investment.
"The Border regions generally haven't done as well as other parts of the country and I am determined to redress that balance. I believe with the record of investment that we are now experiencing that the time has come to ensure that Sligo gets its share of that investment."
The Tanaiste said she was in favour of a policy of regionalisation to allow the north-west to keep its status as an Objective One region for EU aid as this would greatly benefit the area.
The chairman of the board of Sligo airport, Mr Matt Lyons, said the meeting with the Tanaiste was requested because certain tax incentives which the airport was relying on to develop an enterprise park were recently done away with under an EU directive. Ms Harney said the double rent allowance and rates remission incentives could not be reinstated but said other tax benefits could be made available. She is to report back to the airport board next week.
"If we could encourage investment here at the airport that's what I'd like to see because the airport does have an operating loss and it does need to generate additional income," Ms Harney said.