Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It has been key. I accept that historically there has been an issue with different regions progressing at different levels. What I have announced is very significant foreign direct investment in Waterford and the south east more generally. That will grow. Horizon Therapeutics has recently announced 350 jobs, as the Deputy knows. All of those matter and will have impact. As we expand the south east technological university, it will have a key role to play on the enterprise side. There is infrastructure and it has been allocated through the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, and so forth. I know there have been issues on the private sector side, which was not the fault of the State. That funding is still in place for the local authority in Waterford and for the region generally. A regional steering committee has been formed to implement the regional enterprise plan. We need to be careful we do not just keep on creating more and more bodies rather than analysing factors that would give rise to continued growth and development in Waterford. I would be open to having that analysis. Different approaches work for different regions.

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