Mr. Martin Shanahan:

I can fully understand that and I can reassure the Chairman that, from our perspective, the IDA has, over the past five years, tried hard to address that regional imbalance which is improving at regional level. Of the 197 investments made last year, 88 came from our new name investments. The other investments are expansions or other types of investment from the existing portfolio which already have a presence. I gave Deputy McFadden an example of where a company decided to set up a second site in Ireland but such companies are more likely to expand in the location where they are based. From where I sit, the best approach to regional development is that we market regions and also the strong urban areas within those regions. We are not competing within Ireland or even within a region. We are competing with this project going to another European destination, remaining in the US because the US states have upped their game in terms of attractiveness, or going to a country in Asia.