Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I was in Mayo recently and to describe either conditions or indigenous business there as abysmal is ridiculous and should not be done. County Mayo has a good indigenous sector, with some excellent local companies which create good employment. While challenges certainly exist in respect of infrastructure, there is a significant number of positive factors in County Mayo, not least the number of strong indigenous companies that deserve to be supported and to have their successes articulated. The word "abysmal" does not rate and is inappropriate and irrelevant to the quality of many of the companies which operate there.

As for venture capital funding, I anticipate that a number of new high potential start-up companies in Mayo and, hopefully, in Ballina, will emerge and will avail of the funds. The money in question is not given away. It must be earned in terms of the quality of companies, their products and new ideas. The money will follow ideas and products which have good commercial realisability, potential etc.

In addition, the Department has received good feedback from towns in County Mayo in terms of responding to Enterprise Ireland's community enterprise centres. I understand ten community enterprise centres have been funded in County Mayo, which illustrates good local community attitudes to enterprise and a willingness of local communities to develop their own companies and so forth. As the Deputy is aware, the most recent case concerned IRD Kiltimagh Limited, for which €300,000 has been approved for an expansion to its existing centre.

I visited the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology recently to open the innovation centre on the Castlebar campus. This also constitutes a good success story which augurs well for a good relationship between that institute and local businesses.

As for the IDA and the proposed site, this is one of the biggest problems in respect of foreign direct investment. The Deputy cannot blame the IDA for this, as some people do, as there is a problem with the title of the site.

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