John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is important to note that the south east had one of the highest levels of unemployment and that has significantly dropped, albeit that the employment rate has not increased to the same level as the rest of the country. However, unemployment has dropped significantly and employment has risen significantly. I met the directors of the IDA last week. The Tánaiste has been in contact with me on several occasions on this issue and has been to Waterford to visit Enterprise Ireland local enterprise offices and so on and there is a recognition that a lot more needs to be done. I do not like to only mention Waterford. As the Chairman knows, the situation pertains to the entire south-eastern area. There is a recognition of the needs of the area and only last week, a new greenfield site was opened with the IDA, which will be announced in the coming days and hopefully will attract another big company to Waterford. It is important to note that the south east has historically had higher unemployment rates than most parts of the country but it has significantly dropped in recent years. However, the Chairman is correct that the rate in the area is 2% or 3% behind that of many other regions.