Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

When the Minister of State embarks on trade missions, why do the delegations not include county managers and representatives of trade organisations and councils based in areas bedevilled by unemployment and where an IDA Ireland factory has not been built? Will he take this issue on board to ensure industry can be attracted to those blackspots? Given that competitiveness is important, does the Minister of State accept Ireland is at a competitive disadvantage because the Government has been so slow in rolling out broadband and in developing e-commerce?

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