The opening of new IDA offices in Athlone aims to drive industrial investment from within the midlands region, rather than from Dublin, the IDA has said.
And SIPTU has said the decision to locate the new offices in Athlone may prioritise investment in a region which has suffered a catalogue of job losses in the past 14 months.
"The region has suffered. There is no doubt about it," said Mr Frank Conlon, IDA area director for the west and midlands, but he says the area is currently in transition from a focus on older, more established companies, to a newer industrial profile which features a better mix of industries and skills.
The recent job losses in the midlands include Snickers, Lowe Alpine, Daiber and Flextronics, all in Tullamore, Dawn Dairies in Moate, Atlantic Mills in Tullamore and Longford, Avon in Portarlington, Leoni in Birr and Tarkett in Mullingar.
IDA Ireland's new offices in Athlone were opened on Tuesday by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney.
The office will manage IDA's national regional development and property programmes as well as the promotional programmes for the development of the healthcare sector in Ireland.
The new offices also accommodate the IDA's regional office for the midlands.There will now be 35 full-time IDA officials in the offices in Athlone.
And this year the agency, said Mr Conlon, will be undertaking a programme to invest significantly in business parts in the region, including those in Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar.
He cited a €5m investment in Portlaoise, which includes the development of a 20,000-sq-ft office facility.
On the marketing side, there will be a focus on the healthcare and international services industries, said Mr Conlon.
Ms Harney on Tuesday announced that GMAC Commercial Holding Corporation, a financial services resource for the global commercial real-estate industry, is to create 100 new jobs in Mullingar by the end of the year.
Mr Conlon also says other companies are currently in the process of setting up in the region.
In Tullamore, GeneMedix are starting up a bio-tech facility, and in Longford, Cardinal Healthcare, which aims to create more than 1,000 jobs, are expected to apply for planning permission this year.
Mr Mike Jennings, SIPTU regional secretary for midlands and south east, said he is "very pleased" with the new IDA office, which he hopes "indicates a real priority" for the region.