Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

All right. I am glad to hear of that. However, before it is viable the Government or one of its agencies must provide approximately €7 million for the supporting infrastructure, not in the airport itself, but to provide the access roads and the other infrastructure necessary to promote this. I would like a commitment in this regard.

The western corridor is also crucial to the west. Completion of the carriageway from Limerick to Galway is held up and the commencement of the carriageway from Limerick to Cork is held up. If they cannot be done through the public capital programme, the Government should take the PPP route and get private funds to do it.

I welcome what the Tánaiste said about National Technological Park, Plassey and her kind of half-intention of providing some funding there for the microbiology industry. That would be very welcome.

The €20 million global fund going to workers is very welcome. It is specifically tied into named redundant workers. Of the 2,000 individuals, between 400 and 500 were from eastern Europe, many of whom have gone home. Will a quarter of the fund be tied into people who are no longer living in the region and have gone back home because it is tied into the workers? Will there be an element of the fund being frozen? Alternatively will these redundant workers who have now returned to Poland and the Baltic states be able to avail of the fund in their home countries since it is an EU global fund and they were made redundant from Dell? I require clarification on that. Obviously, it is in the interest of the region that the money be spent in the region. However, a legal problem is emerging on the terms of the arrangement, on which I would like clarification.

I would like more information about the fund. In reply to a parliamentary question yesterday the Department refused to give me the details of the training programmes that would be funded on the basis that FÁS would announce it in a fortnight's time. FÁS is not in here. I am a Member of Parliament for Limerick. Public funds are being used, two thirds of it European and one third domestic, and the Tánaiste's Department refused to answer a question from me about the programmes to be funded from the fund on the basis that it was holding the information because FÁS will announce everything in a fortnight's time. That does not inspire confidence in me or in the region. It is a very bad way to treat the Dáil and Members of Parliament when essential information to do with the accountability for public funds is held from Deputies so that a PR announcement can be made in a fortnight's time by a State agency.

See this speech in context