Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is great that we are intent on developing and implementing collaborative and innovation enterprise projects in the region to support sustainable jobs.

This is considerably important for Carlow and Kilkenny, especially in the context of the technological university, TU, for the south east. The creation of the TU will significantly enhance progress towards both national and regional priorities for the area, especially in the areas of access to higher education, research-informed teaching and learning, supporting enterprise and enhancing the regional development. For us to encourage entrepreneurship, start-ups and the green economy, principles of smart specialisation and clustering innovation and communicate the benefits of living and working in the south east, we must all work together.

To move to the implementation stage, we must build on the core activity of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the local enterprise offices, LEOs. Does the Minister of State have any update on them? The south east struggles to compete in the national funding programmes, such as those provided by Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, and so on, which means we are a bit behind. We seem that bit weaker. Is there an update on that?

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