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

I have listened to the same Leaders' Questions from Deputy Shanahan for four years now. I do not believe he is being fair in his description of the economic, educational or health development and expansion in Waterford. In terms of employment Waterford is in very strong employment. Employment is up 26% across the south east. We are in an era of full employment. Enterprise Ireland client companies across Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny are doing extremely well. The local enterprise office has a very strong budget. Foreign direct investment is up 25% in terms of IDA clients increasing, with 86 IDA client companies employing 15,000 people in the south east. The north quays project represented a Government approval of €170 million investment in Waterford's north quays. Every time the Deputy speaks on Leaders' Questions, he just ignores that. He says the Government has no commitment to Waterford. It is now over a year since the ground was broken on that north quays project, which is a very significant project in terms of the regeneration of Waterford. Irish Rail is also investing in Waterford.

In regard to South East Technological University, SETU, I remember at the beginning of this Government the Deputy raised that issue. It has been an ongoing issue. That has been established. The Government announced on 9 November last year the approval of the purchase of the Waterford Crystal site. Final contracts to purchase 20.3 acres of that 37 acre site were signed on 20 November 2023. That will allow real expansion of SETU's Waterford activities. I recall the Deputy saying to me that it will lose out to Carlow or somewhere else. It is expanding and growing. It has grown ever since I bought the land for Waterford technological college at the time.

Schools across Waterford are getting higher investment. Staffing at the hospital has gone up 44% since 2019. That represents 841 extra people working in the hospital. The figure went from 1,949 to 2,805. There are 47 more consultants, 100 more non-consultant hospital doctors, 370 more nurses and midwives, as well as 123 more health and social care professionals. In 2019, Waterford University Hospital had a budget of €201 million. In 2024, that is now €290 million. That is an €89 million increase in the budget to the hospital. The Deputy also knows that the opening hours for the first cath laboratory were extended to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, in September 2022. In regard to pay and provision, in 2024 there are 22 staff in total to complement existing services and to extend the opening hours of the cath lab. There is also a review ongoing.

In 2019, approval was given in principle of an expression of support for an expansion proposal at Waterford Airport. The Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, is very open to the presentations that have been made. I will come back to that in a supplementary response.

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