Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue again. I am very much aware of the protests that have occurred in recent months. A turnout of 2,000 or 3,000 people to protest in what is a relatively small town is a huge number and reflects the depth of feeling that people in Tipperary town have about the decline of their town over the years. It is a concern that everyone on these benches very much shares. The Government has been engaged on this issue. As the Deputy knows and, indeed, at his invitation, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, met the principals of the five schools in Tipperary town to see what could be achieved in terms of additional supports, particularly recognising the disadvantage that exists in Tipperary town but also the influx of new communities, often people who do not have English as their first language, and the additional needs that they have. In terms of unemployment, while it is high, it is falling. Since it peaked in 2012, unemployment in Tipperary town has fallen by 52%, by more than half, and youth unemployment has fallen by two thirds, by 68%.

IDA Ireland is also engaged. There are now 11 IDA Ireland companies in Tipperary, employing 3,600 people, and there are 123 Enterprise Ireland, EI, client companies. Funding has been provided directly in recent months for Tipperary town, including a €97,500 grant for the town centre plaza project to upgrade the town centre, which the Deputy mentioned. Funding has also been provided for Tipperary town football club and other sporting clubs in the area. There has been an increase in the strength of the Tipperary Garda division by more than 40 in the last couple of years. I think it is fair to say that Government has been engaged at least in certain aspects of what is needed in Tipperary town.

The Deputy is correct that a new approach is needed and that a plan is needed for the town but that has to be locally led. There are lots of areas of need in the country and many pockets of disadvantage, including many in my own constituency. The right approach with few exceptions - in fact, only one exception because of the number of murders in the north-east inner city - is one that is local authority led and bottom up. A very good approach that I think could be modelled is what is being done in the Inchicore-Kilmainham area in Dublin or what is being done in the Balbriggan area under the remit of Fingal County Council, which is for the local authority to identify somebody to develop a plan and then to engage with Government on it. I think that would be the best approach.

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