Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It appears that there is a continuation of a two-tier approach to regional job creation in respect of IDA Ireland site visits up to quarter 3 of 2018. The trend of over-concentration of IDA Ireland site visits on the eastern seaboard remains unchanged, with nearly one in every two taking place in the region. Out of a total number of 461 visits nationwide in the first nine months of 2018, 45% were to the capital city. During the same period, eight counties, including Longford, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny, received three visits or fewer. I was very concerned about the figures relating to County Wexford, particularly in light of the fact that Rosslare is located there. This is a concern. As the Minister of State will be aware, the two regions to which I refer continue to struggle in the context of job creation. What emphasis is the Department putting on prioritising the creation of jobs in the south east and the north west?

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