Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The north and west of Ireland were not downgraded to the status of a region in transition for no reason. It did not happen by accident and we all know this is the result of decades of underinvestment by previous Governments and this Government in infrastructure west of the Shannon. We are the only region in Ireland that has been downgraded by the EU Commission and that is because we are lagging behind. When one looks at the west and the north west, we are bottom of the table when it comes to Government investment, whether that is in roads, health, jobs or higher education. The proof of that is there to be seen.

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly has done excellent work in the report and plan it has brought forward and I encourage the Minister to engage with it as we go forward, particularly as the new round of regional funding for 2021 to 2027 approaches. According to the EU Commission, we have one of the highest levels of regional inequality in the entire EU and this has to be addressed urgently. We know the impact of Brexit on this region will be major and we also know that the EU Commission has said that the impact of Covid-19 will be especially difficult for the west and the north west. Will the Minister engage with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly on its plan for what needs to happen with regional funding going forward?

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