Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

The Minister, Deputy Cowen, kindly told me that there was no plan for the disbursement of catch-up national development plan funds for the BMW region. I thank him for his honesty in stating that no plan is in place to allow the under-spend to be addressed. I raised this matter one year ago and was given to understand that the Government would take action. In 1997, a group of Ministers from the west — the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, would know all about this — wanted to take an overview with regard to issues related to the under-spend in the BMW area, which includes the Minister for Finance's area. From 2000 to 2005 spending was only 74% of what it should have been.

Does the Minister agree that the lack of a plan shows a total lack of commitment on the part of the Government to address the serious issues of the under-development of the BMW region, the lack of balanced regional development and the fact that half the graduates of the area must go to Dublin to get their first job? There should be a plan. This group of Ministers should be reactivated. Why is there no plan?

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