Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That will not be a challenge for me, Chairman. I thank Mr. Sobral for his contribution. It was clear and concise. Unfortunately, it is clear and concise coming from Brussels, but when it gets to Dublin, that is where the problems start. I come from the northern and western region of this country. We were a developed region and now have slipped to being "a region in transition". For us to get the major infrastructural projects, be they transport, industry, electricity or whatever, we find ourselves constantly having to battle an inertia among the permanent government that does not really see the potential of our region, despite having had the support of Mr. Sobral’s unit and organisation.

In the context of Mr. Sobral’s language around a grassroots approach and internal cohesion, what weapons does Mr. Sobral, his unit and the Commissioner have to push national governments to do more on internal cohesion? The notion, given all of the investment that cohesion funding has put into our region, that we would once again slip from being a developed region to being one in transition is not the fault of the EU but lies within this island. In respect of the involvement of communities, what supports are there?

Second, with regard to cohesion projects moving forward in the context of climate change, what specific role would cohesion policies have? Mr. Sobral specifically mentioned the Just Transition programme in the midlands. Given that it is rural and regional communities which are going to have the initial costs and, hopefully, many benefits of climate change, what role will the Cohesion Fund play in assisting communities and regions but allowing them also to maximise the benefits of new climate change approaches?