Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not by accident that the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys, is also from a Border county. It was a deliberate decision by the Taoiseach to send a message that we are prioritising the Border counties in the context of the undoubted concern around Brexit. In the new capital expenditure programme, which will be announced in the first quarter of next year, there will also be a reinforcement of the focus on the Border counties to ensure that connectivity, North and South of this island, remains strong and that the connection between the Border counties and Dublin is also factored into economic development plans. The Government is very aware of how vulnerable and exposed many Border communities feel in the context of Brexit and we need to respond to that. The agreement of last Friday is, hopefully, a strong signal of intent in that regard.

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