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

The Deputy is right to cite Killorglin as an example because the key to successful regional development is that the region identify competitive strengths it can develop and use to achieve job growth. Kerry is in a very strong position because it has core strength in a range of sectors, as the Deputy has pointed out. It has strength in food, tourism, financial services, engineering, agri-technology, multi-media technology, energy and marine. The key to the regional action plan is developing strategies for each of those sectors to be credibly leveraged and for the institute of technology, IT and other resources, stakeholders and local authorities to come in behind that programme of actions. That is the approach we are taking. Examples such as Killorglin are integrated into a bigger unit which is a magnet for the IDA.

The IDA, however, has to decide how best to market the south west and Kerry in particular. It has made a choice, having the advance facility, of integrating the IT into its effort rather than having stand-alone offices that give the impression of activity but do not deliver the goods on the ground. That is the strategic approach it has adopted. It creates the larger region because that big magnet is necessary to compete for projects. That can be used for spin-offs. For example, Dundalk has leveraged off the success of Dublin to build a strong centre. That model of hubs and spokes is the way to do this successfully.

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