Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to partake in the debate in a calm and rational manner now that certain Members have left the House.

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on his part in delivering the positive announcement by the Kerry Group yesterday. It behoves all of us to acknowledge that. It was a great news announcement for the country. However, I wish to follow up with a small “but” – the jobs are on the east coast. As the Minister is well aware, I am a Deputy representing Limerick and the mid-west. We have not seen a job announcement of a similar order for the mid-west region since Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed a Government. I wish to highlight that to put pressure on the Minister and his Government colleagues to deliver a major announcement for the mid-west region. Recently, PayPal looked at two locations, one in County Louth and the old Dell facility in Raheen outside Limerick city. County Louth won, which is regrettable. I acknowledge that the Minister played a fulsome role in delivering yesterday’s key announcement, which is most welcome, but we in Limerick and the mid-west are waiting expectantly on the Minister and the Government, which is composed of the Fine Gael and Labour parties, to deliver to the mid-west, which they have not done in terms of a serious jobs announcement recently.

A number of important items were raised in the context of the farmers’s demonstration yesterday which have not as yet been aired in the debate. I refer to the third level college grant scheme and the potential impact on the farming community as the grant scheme is under scrutiny at the moment by the Minister for Education and Skills. The Minister is aware of the possible introduction of a capital asset test. My Labour Party colleagues are leaving the Chamber as we discuss the issue.

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