Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister of State mentioned that because as I have said to the Tánaiste over the past two years, 15 minutes up the road from Athlone is the town of Ballinasloe. As we know there is a limited ability to expand or bring a large investment into Athlone either on the Roscommon side or the Westmeath side because the industrial lands are not there. There is a 50-acre land bank available in the town of Ballinasloe that is in public ownership. IDA Ireland has point-blank refused to acquire those lands where the infrastructure is in place. The water, wastewater and fibre optic cable, all the infrastructure, is there and yet IDA Ireland has refused to acquire those additional lands and to market that particular campus to investors in the midland region.

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