Uutrage in Tuam over IDA fob-off By DAVID BURKE ‘THE revelation that an IDA off cial tried to persuade an Italian ‘businessman to locate in Galvway rather than Tuam has provoked Inihetown te’ dase came at a timber of Commerce meeting when Guiseppe De Francesco stated that he had encountered severe difficulties in his dealings with the IDA. He wanted to set up a software business in what he thought ‘Would be a functioning business park on the Dunmore Road. ‘When he contacted, the IDA office in Galway an official there, ‘whom he named, apent five min tutes trying to persuade him that it would be more convenient to set up in Galway. Mayor's deep shock County Mayor Sean Canney, who as at the meeting, has expressed his. deep shoe! ages a he atte cee prevailing within the IDA in rela tion to business people enquiring about Tuam as location “itisho wonder wedo not have new investment in the new IDA site ifthe IDA themoolves are pro rmoting Galway city in preference toTuam, as reported atthe meet ‘ng,” said Cllr Canney, ‘Afier the meeting he spoke to Maura Saddington, Area Director with the IDA, and expressed his concer. She promised to fully ‘investigate the issue. lr Canney told The Tuam Herald that he ha sont a very strong letter to Ms Saddington and has requested that she take ‘esponsibility for al future ma keting of Tuam, Earlier in the mecting, which included a number of presenta- tions on developments in Tuam Including road infrastructure and broadband, Ms Saddington aid shat the lack of high opcod broadband was an obstacle in selling Tuam to prospective investors. She said the [DAewas aiming for balanced ragional investment, ‘i eee the tlre ‘who decided the location. ‘The IDA had spent €1.2 million ‘on the Dunmore Road Business Park, but broadband was critical tothe kind of industry thoy were trying to attract, which was soft ie, "he sud 3,00 squat fot advanced technology" balding ‘was planned for 2008. "There were 13 site visits with clients to Tuam since the year 2000, Ms Saddington said, saying that clients were favouring uni- versity citico with airports. Giuseppe De Francesco During the question and answer session afterwards, Mr De Francesco said that the broad- band difficulty was exaggerated, that they could manage with ths level at present provided, but that ‘hehad been advised by the IDA to setup in Galway. His comments provoked a stir, bout there wae no furthor public discussion, The two IDA officials present spoke with Mr De Francesco after the meeting, Ta subsequent interview with The Tuam Herald -Mr.De Francesco said he contacted the IDA intending to sot up in the business park on the Dunmore Road in Tuam, not knowing there ag ne building om dhe site, He explained to them that he wanted {ozenta premises for a high-lech industry with Italian investors, ‘but the person he spoke to spent five minutes trying to porstiade Pts am, ay eee ty Having consulted with his investors, he then offered to build on the IDA site, but was told that because he was not looking for a grant, he did not qualify “spent three weeks of hell try: if left messages, voicemail, Sinally Heft very angry message with the operator,” he said. He told The Herald that after the Tuam meeting the IDA people apologised to him and said he had been dealing with technical rather than marketing staff Mr De Francesco said he had moved with his wife and children to reland because it was a better fand safer place than Italy in which to raise a family, In-his hhome town, in the hinterland of ‘Milan, drug dealers were around outside the gates of schools, offering free samples to children, ‘They visited many countries before deciding on Ireland, spent sone time. in Ennis, and found their droam home near Dunmore, “He was involved in Autentys, ‘an Italian company which pro: vides management software for car distributors and dealers, and tho company wanted to ect up a separate entity to research and develop new software products, ‘These would include software tools for developers, of whom there are 600,000 in the BU. ‘Tho initial workforce would be six IT graduates, rising toabout 25after five years ‘An advertisement for staff for “Autentye Eireann appears in thie newspaper today. Deputy Mayor of Tuam Paul O'Grady, who was also at the Chamber meeting on Friday ‘morning, said he had gent quories to the highest level in the IDA ‘regarding the poople who viewed the site since 2000, He wondered if anyone else nad oulfsred the same fate 00 Mr De Francesco, and said that the newsabout ih vanced techno gy centre was three years the eatery Roped a would materialise after” Friday's oe