Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree that we do not need to hear more of the same and I constantly try to put out the view that people in here talk down rural and regional Ireland, though there are many opportunities and supports. The whole design of having the regional enterprise funds and regional plans is to tap in to the entrepreneurial spirit of those regions and get collaboration across State agencies and, more important, across the business community in those sectors. I have been involved with them in my previous time in the Department. There is much opportunity in those regions. It is fair to say that our efforts in the past seven or eight years have tried to redress a regional that happened for many years before that, probably for 30 or 40 years. Since 2014, 2015 and 2016 the focus has been on the regions and on direct investment there.

It is having positive results and I will give an example. In quarter 1 of 2015 in the Border region, unemployment was at 15.9%. By quarter 2 of this year, it was down to 5%, though it has been affected by Covid since then. In the midlands region, it was at nearly 15% and it was down to just under 6% earlier this year. We recognise that the past six or seven months have changed that picture and we have to refocus our minds but there has been a good deal of success. I said in my opening comments that I would not take that success for granted. There is much work to do to make sure it is sustainable growth and to create sustainable and high-end jobs in those regions. We are happy to work with the Deputy on that.

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