Invest NI chief meets councillors asking for more industrial land

THE new chief executive of Invest NI has held an online meeting with local councillors amid ongoing concerns about the lack of industrial development in the Omagh area.

Kieran Donoghue, who has recently been appointed to the top post in the organisation, attended the online meeting along with Invest NI’s western regional manager, Ethna McNamee.

It followed a briefing by Invest NI officials to members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, which took place in March.

At this latest meeting, Invest NI was urged to identify, secure and develop more land in Omagh for industrial development.

In 2022, an independent review panel examining the work of Invest NI was told that there was no suitable land available in Omagh for engineering businesses hoping to expand their operations.

At that time, Omagh Sinn Féin councillor, Barry McElduff, said that ‘more needed to be done’ to address the absence of land zoned for industrial use.

He reiterated that call at last week’s meeting between Invest NI and the Council.

“I welcome the meeting which we had with Invest NI, and it was good to meet with the new chief executive, Kieran Donoghue and the western regional manager, Ethna McNamee,” he said.

“We need Invest NI to work proactively to identify, secure and develop land for industrial use in the Omagh area.

“Ultimately, they will be judged on their delivery, but we commit to working with them to achieve these aims.”

Invest NI currently owns around 47 acres of land at the Doogary Industrial Estate, located on the outskirts of Omagh.