John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister agreed that the city selected in 2018 will have to seek matching funding from the private sector. Given the current economic climate, it is crucial that time is allocated to the city. The Minister has confirmed that the decision will be reached on the selection soon. I congratulate the Minister on the huge effort for what happened in Limerick. I ask him to consider cities that have been economically devastated, like Waterford, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country but a history associated with its culture. Whatever city is allocated the status, it will have a major impact on the city businesses and in building confidence that has been hurt by the current economic climate. I congratulate the Minister on the effort he made in this venture.

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