James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last Thursday, Waterford Institute of Technology published a report containing statistics and evidence that backed up what we all know about the south east, namely, that it is the forgotten region. There are 6,000 fewer IDA jobs and 7,000 fewer third level places in the south east than in the other regions. The district suffers from brain drain. The population aged under 25 and over 50 is at national norms, while the population between those ages is gone. People who get an education do not return, given that there are no jobs there. We need more than what is in place. We need a task force with specific goals for the south east to target the area and bring us up to the norm. We are 14 years behind the rest of the country and we need specific targets to be brought into place and action to happen to bring us up to the national average, at a minimum.

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