Mr. Barry O'Leary:

We will not and we have not. We have achieved many of the metrics, including FDI in its total volume for Ireland as a whole, but we are not getting enough regionally and will not do so. We inserted the figure to drive the ambition to get as much as possible. The Deputy is correct in that the CEOs make the decisions for their companies. We can incentivise companies to use a certain location.

Dublin, Cork and Galway have received a substantial portion of FDI, but real progress is being made in some regions. For example, Dundalk and Drogheda in the north east have seen a great deal of investment. There has been a fair bit of investment in Limerick. There has not been the same level of investment in Waterford, but the south east - the Waterford-Wexford-Clonmel area - enjoys a healthy pipeline of investments. There will be a few more in that area in the coming months. If one tracked planning permission applications in the region, one would be able to find information in that context.