John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

More than 51% of the country qualifies for category C regional aid. It was originally proposed that large enterprises would not be funded in the regions. We got that included. The regional aid is not a funding scheme for the EU. It is just a set of guidelines for enterprise support agencies in Ireland to follow.

Following sustained engagement with the Commission and like-minded member states at ministerial and official level, Ireland secured entitlement to maintain regional aid qualification for areas accounting for 50% of the country’s population, with coverage actually slightly increasing to 51.28%.

On the key issue for Ireland, aid to large enterprises, a compromise was agreed with the Commission that will allow member states to provide investment aid to large enterprises for new economic activities and diversification of existing enterprises. The possibility of large enterprises not being supported was on the table. Companies that were previously supported and were to be excluded-----

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