Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate our new Minister, Deputy Peter Burke. As a Senator representing Roscommon and Galway, we have Athlone in common. We can see how both Westmeath County Council and Roscommon County Council work together to ensure the development of Athlone as a centre for the live sciences. Only recently, Athlone was nominated as a growth town and that is through the Western Development Commission and as well the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, right through the regional spatial economic strategies. The Minister mentioned in one of the first lines in his opening statement, how important balanced regional development is. We say this, but the Minister knows what this means for our towns and smaller towns across Ireland when it comes to growth.

Athlone recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Monksland and the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, came down to visit. We have Alexion, which saw a massive investment of more than €65 million come in through both Dublin and Athlone. It is really important to see that the other surrounding towns across Roscommon and east Galway are also supported. I invite the Minister in his new role to come and visit us and to see the IDA business and technology parks in both Roscommon town and Ballinasloe. As a Senator from the area, I am fighting for that balanced regional investment. It is excellent to see large investment coming into our towns but we need to see how it is happening in the likes of Roscommon town and Ballinasloe.

When I link in with my IDA contacts, one of the first things they will say to me is housing. I am delighted to say that we have more than 136 brand-new housing units for families in Ballinasloe town. We have a national broadband plan rolled out by Fine Gael, taking the lead in government regarding driving that across the country. We have broadband. We have housing. What are the other elements that we need to show to be an attractive site? The IDA has worked hard. Dexcom with more than 1,000 jobs, is going to transform the area of east Galway and is absolutely phenomenal.

The other areas I might also highlight are housing and electricity. The new energy efficiency grant, through the local enterprise office, is wonderful. I thank the Minister for the policy document that was issued. That was the green for business initiative, which businesses can apply for absolutely free. They can get an energy audit out, which is wonderful and many businesses have been doing that. I have worked hard to link in with businesses, contact them and encourage them to apply. I often walk about and walk in, knock on the door and ask if businesses would consider applying for this. We are getting great feedback. I am told by the Galway LEO that application levels are up for the green for business initiative in the east Galway area. The next step is the energy efficiency grant. The announcement of the extra €10,000 is crucial. I want to see businesses in the areas that I represent, in Roscommon and Galway, have lower energy bills this winter. It means they can implement those decisions and recommendations to that energy efficiency grant over the summer. The Minister might like to make a comment on that.

The portfolio of the Department of enterprise criss-crosses many areas. I have talked about housing there and I know that is not within the Department's remit. Despite this, when the Department goes out and fights for investment, it is one of the key things that is looked at. How does the Department feed in at a cross-departmental level, with those other areas? As Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson in research and innovation, I support the disruptive technologies innovation fund. It has been crucial in driving competitiveness. We are up there and previously have been ranking. We see the likes of Science Foundation Ireland, the new agency that is coming out to drive investment and the role of Enterprise Ireland within each of our universities and our technological universities, through the technology transfer fund and getting those patents across the line, as well as driving spinouts. There was an article in the Business Post last weekend, about how we want to see more entrepreneurs being driven out of Ireland out of our campuses and universities. I seek the Minister's comments in this regard.

I know the Minister will be working closely with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, on that. Our competitiveness is crucial for Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. We have to keep our rankings high. That means investment in our research competitiveness and in research at third level and Enterprise Ireland is doing that. Those are some of the areas I might mention.

I thank the Minister and welcome him and congratulate him. I know he will be working closely with his team. He has an excellent team across the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. As someone who worked in Health Innovation Hub Ireland, knows bio-innovation, is down in Galway and got to see the importance of medtech in the Galway area, I know what we can drive in the west of Ireland. I am asking for the Minister's support for balanced regional development across many areas, and I welcome his comments.