Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome that manufacturing is getting priority, and the Minister mentioned in particular the research and development credit scheme.

Regarding the pools of qualified talent, there would not be a shortage of those in the midlands. It is easy to get to an area from a commuter point of view because of improved motorway and rail links, which was one of the reasons given in the past for holding it back. I ask the Minister to speak to the IDA Ireland about having a flexible approach to the midlands, particularly towards some of the empty units I mentioned such as the Avon factory in Portarlington, the IDA Ireland factories in Portlaoise and Birr, and the other centres and to impress on it the need for balanced regional development. Everybody would agree on that. There are pressures on water and other resources in Dublin but we do not have the same level of pressure in the Midlands. There is a good road network in place. There are good facilities which are ready to have the key turned in them. That is the key point. Smaller units can be used in clusters. On the day we met the Minister I discussed the question of companies that want to expand and start a new operation in the Midlands in that some of those smaller units could be used for that. I urge the Minister to use his good offices to keep the pressure on IDA Ireland to have that focus on balanced regional development, and particularly to ensure the midlands does not continue to be ignored by IDA Ireland.

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