David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Shanahan and his team. I join with Deputy Bruton in congratulating them on the work they have been doing for the last while. It is hugely impressive.

This morning Bank of Ireland announced five remote working hubs or spaces in addition to their existing six. Is there a conversation in the client companies of IDA Ireland and in the authority itself to encourage and support remote working spaces and hubs? Thankfully, many thousands of people are in employment with IDA Ireland companies but many travel long distances where they could actually work in their own towns or areas and rejuvenate them. I am thinking of the town of Youghal in my own area where many people travel every day and spend a lot of time in their cars. It would improve the quality of life enormously if they could be encouraged and supported to work in their own communities in remote working spaces. Is that conversation happening? Is any of the companies looking at that?

I noticed that there have not been many announcements in the Cork area recently. I spoke with Construction Industry Federation recently where it spoke of the lack of serviced sites in the Cork area with respect to the IDA Ireland land bank. Will Mr. Shanahan comment on that?

Between Carrigtwohill and Midleton in my own constituency there is a very large site of around 54 ha, which Amgen was interested in about ten or 12 years ago. That did not happen. That site has been just sitting there. It is fully serviced and extremely valuable but nothing is happening on it. It has been said that the constraints posed by infrastructure, the N25, is making the site less attractive. Most recently Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has decided not to go ahead with a planned upgrade of that site. Is Mr. Shanahan aware of that? Is he concerned about it? Will he comment on the issue?

Deputy Bruton mentioned data centres and Mr. Shanahan covered that. Is the EirGrid ban, which I understand is in place, a constraint in attracting large companies to the east coast in particular?

On diversity and client companies looking after people from marginalised backgrounds, refugees and people from disadvantage, I note that many IDA Ireland companies have signed up to the Open Doors initiative which was established about three years ago. I want to say well done to the companies that have joined it. They are looking at diversity and supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain employment, training, support and mentoring. I am not sure if Mr. Shanahan is aware of it but it is a very exciting initiative.