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

I am glad the Minister has referred to the plans that are being considered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that would essentially see these regional funds being centralised in Dublin. That is an outrageous proposition that should have never come to the desk of any Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As I said, we are looking at the impacts of Brexit and at the fact that we are no longer designated as a developed region, which is so serious for our region going forward. The level of investment and infrastructure that is required has not been there and that needs to change. We need a multibillion infrastructural plan specifically for this region. The Northern and Western Regional Assembly has done the work and we need to make sure that regional funding is given to and remains in the regions so that it is spent on what is best. We also need to make sure the regions have the ability to look at how they spend those funds and we need a plan on specific projects to make sure we change the wave on this. We cannot remain a region in transition. People want to live in the west and the north west. At the moment, there is no fair play when it comes to investment and that needs to change urgently.

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