Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps her Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in Mid Ulster.
Minister for the Economy: In developing its current business strategy, Our Future in Focus 2024-27, Invest NI worked closely with me and my officials to ensure full alignment with my economic vision, particularly the aim of achieving stronger regional balance, including across Mid Ulster. For the first time, the agency has adopted a geographically based target whereby, by year three of the Strategy, 65% of all Invest NI-supported investments will be located outside the Belfast Metropolitan Area (BMA). This remains a key strategic priority for Invest NI and is central to supporting economic growth in districts such as Mid Ulster.
Through my sub-regional economic plan and the work of Local Economic Partnerships, including the Mid Ulster Local Economic Partnership, we are laying the foundations to accelerate this progress in the years ahead. This includes pursuing and promoting more joined-up delivery, building and strengthening regional propositions, enhancing local assets, and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the availability of suitable land and property for investment.
The focus remains clear: driving inclusive growth so that areas such as Mid Ulster fully benefit from economic opportunity.
ENDS
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