What does the iDirect move mean for Tralee

MANY in Tralee are currently questioning the IDA’s commitment to the town following the decision of iDirect to move from the county capital to new offices in Killarney.

News of iDirects move to Killarney has been greeted with shock and disappointment in Tralee.

The US communications technology company set up shop in Ireland in 2014 when it acquired the IP of defunct satellite communications firm Altobridge which had been based at Kerry Technology Park.

On taking over Altobridge iDirect moved from the Technology Park to a temporary site at Liber House at Monavalley in Tralee.

At the start of the month iDircet announced it was moving its Irish operations and 30 jobs to The Reeks Gateway Development in Killarney.

The move raises a number of significant questions for Tralee .

First and foremost is the role of the IDA in iDirects move.

Obviously companies are free to locate where ever they desire and clearly iDirect felt Killarney met suited its needs better than Tralee.

However, what many in Tralee are now wondering is what, if any, effort did the IDA invest in trying to keep iDirect in Tralee.

Given that the agency is to build a €5 million facility at Kerry Technology Park in a bid to attract investment it would surely be in their interests to keep as many high profile companies as possible in Tralee, if only to convince other potential investors of the town’s merits.

Secondly there is some confusion as to how the IDA briefed the Government and specifically the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor on the iDirect move.

After the announcement Minister Mitchell O’Connor and Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin both issued statements welcoming the arrival of 30 new jobs in Kerry. Based on their statements neither seemed to be aware that the jobs were already in the county.

The final concern surrounds Kerry Technology Park which has existed in a managerial limbo since Shannon Development was wound down.

Given the park’s exceptionally successful history why now are companies like iDirect so unwilling to locate there?