Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The national planning framework is still in draft form. The comments made indicate very clearly why it has to be the subject of consultation. I expect many submissions to be made on it. It falls within the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. It is important people make submissions in and I am sure we will all be making them.

On the question of regional development, particularly in Border areas, in the context of Brexit, it will be a key focus of mine in working with all of the agencies - IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, the local enterprise offices and InterTradeIreland. As we know, Brexit presents many challenges. Therefore, we need to look at promoting the strengths of the Border regions. As Mr. Shanahan said, IDA Ireland is putting marketing packages together. We need to put our best foot forward and encourage investment by outlining what the different local authority areas have to offer. They have unique skill sets that are attractive in seeking inward investment. We should be working closely with the local authorities across the country to ensure they will put forward their best foot and highlight the good reasons companies should locate in their areas, investments from which everybody would benefit. Some Border locations have attracted more multinational investment than others. They include Letterkenny, Dundalk and Drogheda.

Two companies have relocated to Dundalk as a result of Brexit - one from the UK and one from Northern Ireland - which shows that the many challenges posed by Brexit are accompanied by opportunities. JP Morgan and a number of other big finance companies have already decided to locate their European bases in Dublin, which is more good news. We need to put our message out there and sell the regions. I take the Deputy's point about the visits. I thank him for raising it.