Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am absolutely conscious of the need for a regional balance. We have done a great deal of work during the past year to ensure there has been a regional balance. Only last Monday, in the second call for the regional enterprise development fund, I announced an allocation of a little over €25 million in funding that will support the regions to deliver on their economic and enterprise development potential. Of course, there are some areas that are not doing as well as others, which is why we have the Regional Action Plan for Jobs committees. They have started a process to refresh and refocus all of the regional plans and come up with good ideas. The regional enterprise development fund provides the money that will make them materialise. There have been some particularly good projects.

I do not want to hear that the Border region is not doing well. It is doing extremely well and a great region in which to invest as there is a strong work ethic in it. I was there yesterday - I live there - and there was great excitement about all of the investments that had materialised through the regional enterprise development fund. There was a really good investment in a hub in north Leitrim. It had started off originally with Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin. It is a highly successful business, on which the hub is building.

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