Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The midlands is ideally placed, through its regional enterprise plan, to maximise the opportunities. There is already a funding call through the European innovation ecosystems work programme, for which €116 million has been budgeted. There will be further competitive calls. I once again commend the regional assemblies involved on submitting the application and providing the information. These are best placed to brief the Deputy. I encourage every Member to be briefed on the potential. The regional assemblies are best placed to identify the funding opportunities and, most importantly, the businesses and institutions that can make the most value from those funding opportunities.

This is a competitive programme. With 151 regions, it will be intensely competitive. Those that are best prepared will best maximise the opportunities that are there. I have every confidence that the regional assemblies will be able to do that.

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