Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I remind the Minister that both he and his Government have had at least seven years' notice and previous Governments have had 15 years' notice of this situation. Of course, I did say in my few words that we had met the Minister, Deputy Ross, very recently but our appeals to him have fallen on deaf ears as well. I am appealing to the Government. These towns have been neglected for years. They have been neglected and condemned to a situation where, as I have said, they are being choked by 7,000 vehicles every day. They were left out of the regional development plans by the previous Government whereby a number of towns were earmarked for construction of industrial and office accommodation and facilities by IDA Ireland.

These towns are very vibrant with very good community, social, cultural and sporting organisations, and they have always tried to help themselves, but they need Government support now. The key Government supports they need are the upgrading of the N24 and a task force addressing the serious unemployment levels. We need IDA Ireland to target those towns for job creation and development. While I acknowledge that the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, is standing in for the Taoiseach today, I want him to bring this issue back to the Taoiseach and ask him to take up the issues and approve the initiatives I have raised because they are vital for these towns.

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