Mr. Feargal O'Rourke:

Through my career, I have seen different approaches. If the person making the decision will be moving to the proposed location, the company takes a great interest in schools, connectivity, housing and so on. If the person making the decision is not going, the company tends to be much more focused on what the numbers say and the return on investment. There is almost a correlation relating to whether the person making the decision will be going with the project or not. It depends. In some cases with which I have dealt through the years, it has been heritage. Some people wish to locate a business in a particular county as that is from where their ancestors came. There is no one truth that governs this. Clearly, companies will always do the numbers on return on investment. Things like access to third level education are important. It is desirable to be near a hub that provides good third level graduates. If it is a manufacturing business, it is important to be located in an area from which it can export its product. The services industry is more location agnostic. The finer points tend to be determined by whether the person making the decision is travelling with the project. I know Waterford is a 15-minute city. I presume the Deputy is about to make a pitch for it.