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

I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Dillon's was the first question, and it related to balanced regional development. I really want to echo his words in that regard. It is a Government objective to make sure we have job opportunities in all parts of the country. We are making some real progress in that regard. More than half of all of the investments by IDA Ireland companies last year were outside Dublin. Some two thirds of Enterprise Ireland-supported jobs, which are Irish companies exporting, were outside of Dublin last year. I was delighted to see Dexcom creating 1,000 jobs in Athenry. I was in Clonmel on Friday to announce 400 jobs by Boston Scientific. There was also a major jobs announcement in Limerick recently. I was present with Deputy Dillon to visit Meissner some years ago. I will take up the issue of the advanced technology building in Castlebar. That is one I was personally involved in with Deputy Dillon back when I was the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I want to make sure that is available as a potential site for investment and job creation in Mayo into the future. We will continue to invest in infrastructure in the county. I am looking forward to opening the Castlebar to Westport road, which I believe is the biggest infrastructure investment by the State in Mayo. We will continue to invest in roads and broadband and infrastructure in the county, including the Ireland West Airport at Knock.

Deputy Crowe mentioned the issue of the tourist towns that have been impacted adversely by the refugee crisis. We acknowledge this is a problem. There are people from Ukraine and from all over the world in all parts of the country. I believe that has more than any other individual county, but on percentage terms the biggest number is down the western seaboard, including counties like Clare, Donegal, Kerry and Mayo. We need to acknowledge that. We have done this in part through the community recognition fund, which is the €50 million to help communities that have accepted a large number of people from overseas. This was very well received. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Martin, is looking at how she might be able to help some of the business that have been adversely affected. The accommodation providers are fine but the pubs, restaurants and attractions are losing out. This is clear. We have some data on that. Some will be able to pivot and adapt and some will not. Either way, they will need help. The Minister, Deputy Martin, is working on proposals to do exactly that.

Deputy Moynihan raised the issue of the M20. I reaffirm the Government's commitment to building the Cork-Limerick motorway. It is a very important infrastructural project in the national development plan. It is significant from a balanced regional development point of view, connecting Cork and Limerick and then on to Galway. It is also very important for towns such as Charleville and Buttevant, but as is often the case with these big projects, they take time and this one must go through planning and design.

Deputy Barry mentioned the whole issue of Apple, as did a number of Deputies. I have had the pleasure of being to Hollyhill on more than one occasion. I visited Apple and I saw the work they do there and the thousands of jobs provided by people there. I believe the Apple state aid case is being misrepresented, quite frankly. Let us not forget what this is about. This is the view taken by the European Commission that, about 20 years ago, Ireland had a special tax arrangement with Apple that was not available to other countries. That is simply untrue. The European Court that heard the case found in favour of Ireland and agreed there was no such special arrangement in place. We will see what the European Court of Justice says.

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