Mr. Tom Healy:

Modern-outlook regional development holds that regional cities tie into and support the surrounding areas, helping them to grow. However, if the surrounding areas do not have good connections into that hub, the growth simply will not happen.

To address the earlier question on the development authorities, in the 1980s the IDA, when it still dealt with development in local communities, located a factory in Clifden and Oughterard. Back in those days it took five hours to get to Dublin before one could even leave the country. Those factories are still there. Today, one can reach the M6 motorway network from Galway city, which links one to the European motorway network. We are now more integrated into the Single Market but we are not getting any new factories, even though it is a lot easier to access markets. That says it all in terms of regional development.