Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am convinced that the new structures for Shannon are better and not worse. The proof of that is that virtually every political representative in the region also agreed. There was a sense that, for example, if one is trying to compete for foreign direct investment a single regional authority will not be able to compete with a body such as the IDA and its experience and presence in the marketplace. A national organisation is able to give companies access to the full range of expertise available at a national level while still retaining a regional focus. The purpose of the regional enterprise frameworks we are developing is to make sure we do not lose anything and can have better joined up thinking with other agencies because we cannot do everything on our own. In terms of actual performance, it continues to do very well. Limerick and Shannon have had a good flow of projects. There is no sign of any lapse.

Enterprise Ireland and the IDA both have a very good working relationship with Údarás na Gaeltachta. They have their own companies and run their own programmes to support them, but where an FDI project is considering an Údarás na Gaeltachta region the protocols work very well. Clearly Údarás na Gaeltachta depends on the IDA network and does not try to replicate it, but there would always be an Údarás na Gaeltachta person for a specific project or site visit in an area. I do not oversee its programmes and do not want to pretend to have an intimate knowledge of them.