Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a major contradiction in what the Minister is saying. She stated that having vacant sites available gave potential FDI companies a choice. However, such companies are not exercising the option of taking up these sites. This is the point I am trying to get across to the Minister. We need a specific initiative to try to target companies - FDI or indigenous - and get them into these sites. In an earlier exchange, the Minister said she hoped to visit Limerick and that she had more in the pipeline for the city, which is welcome. I ask the Minister to step outside Limerick city and come to my constituency, where there is a vacant site at Askeaton, a former Shannon Development site. Whether it is under the auspices of IDA Ireland or Shannon Commercial Properties is irrelevant. Can the Minister come and see these vacant sites? They have been available for years and nothing is happening. Something must happen and we need a specific initiative.

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