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

One of the advantages of the regions designation is that we can positively discriminate in a region's favour. Thus, when it comes to employment grants from my Department for new industry, we can offer grants in the west and north west that cannot be offered in Dublin and Cork. We are absolutely prepared to do that in order to secure jobs and investment for the region. Then there is what we might call the broader, more traditional part of the national development plan, that is, investing in roads, railways and broadband. The new plan will see an increase in capital investment in the coming years. We are going to ensure that the regions which need it most get that investment.

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