Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

The numbers on the live register in Ballina exceed those for the entire County Roscommon, which speaks for itself. The fast-tracking of the industrial park on the Sligo Road must be ensured because the IDA needs a site.

Moreover, while the Minister may assert that the N26 Ballina to Bohola bypass is the responsibility of the National Roads Authority, he must exercise his collective responsibility as there must be some movement in this regard.

Although the Minister stated the IDA is playing its part, this is not the case and it has failed miserably. The IDA denies it is at fault and points to the absence of infrastructure in Ballina, which is abysmal. In previous replies, the Minister claimed to be confident that the national development plan would bear fruit for Ballina. However, there has been an underspend of €3.8 billion, including a €500 million underspend on transport. How can Ballina survive without the requisite infrastructure to make it competitive? This is the story of the west. Can the Minister do better than this?

Apparently, a couple of hundred million euro in seed capital will be made available. Will any of it be made available to Ballina companies? Will any of it reach companies from Mayo, or from the west, to allow people from Mayo to rise above their present abysmal state? The scale of failure has been abysmal. While the Minister has claimed advances are being made in respect of the business park, in reality the only advances being made are in the state of neglect of the west and of Ballina in particular. Can the Minister shed some light in this respect?

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