Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What we committed to do last year was to develop a framework within which the strategy could happen and we are rolling it out this year. We have committed funds of €150 million from the IDA as part of its five-year strategy, which is specifically for property solutions. Most attention has been devoted to the 12 advance facilities we have planned for the next three years.

That only uses up 30% of those solutions. There will be many other IDA Ireland property-based investments to help regions attract inward investment. Up to €100 million has been set aside by Enterprise Ireland for these competitive calls. We are now moving into the implementation phase and doing it in a way with which the Deputies opposite will agree. We must sit down with the stakeholders in each region, get the best ideas and work with the agencies at local level to bring those ideas to fruition. We have ambitious targets in this regard.

There is always the trick of finding a figure that looks the worst possible. I can understand why the Deputy might be tempted to do that. If one looks at it in a balanced way, however, one will see all the regions are growing. Some strong Enterprise Ireland performances are occurring in many regions which were weaker. Some are not doing as well and those are the ones at which we need to look. Why in some areas are our own Irish companies faced with the same opportunities not growing so strongly? I expect Enterprise Ireland to do an audit on those companies and examine the range of policies that could help them grow. That is the benefit of a regional bottom-up approach.

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