Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Quite a number of questions were asked about the NESC report. I certainly will revert back to NESC on Deputy Brendan Smith's consistent seeking of a particular study on the challenges facing the central Border area. A number of reports have been done by NESC on North-South development but Deputy Smith wants something a bit more specific on the central Border area and the challenges in respect of the area. I have made the point myself that foreign direct investment in and around the Border area, or on a North-South basis, is something IDA Ireland could reasonably pursue also. It is an area that has not really been pursued to the degree that perhaps it could have been in the past.

Deputy Lahart raised the issue of energy poverty. His request or suggestion that local authorities should consider bulk buying energy is a good idea. This would involve using their purchasing power in respect of the properties they own to get a competitive price and reduce the costs. There are also new options emerging. When I say new, in south County Dublin it is already being done in terms of district heating. This should be accelerated by local authorities. It would go a long way towards dealing with issues of energy poverty. The warmer homes scheme is effective and has an impact but it is limited in terms of the number of people covered in any one year. Nonetheless, incrementally and cumulatively ,over time it will impact many people to their benefit and betterment.

Deputy Ó Murchú followed on from what Deputy McGreehan said earlier by articulating his delight at Louth's victory at the weekend. We congratulate Louth again. Deputy Ó Murchú is ambitious for the higher gifts and the need for a stadium in County Louth. When Deputy Ó Murchú says it was on the reserve list, the national sporting bodies listed priorities in respect of their own sports as to which facilities they felt could be dealt with first. The most recent large infrastructure fund was not large enough, or much of the funding had been committed to projects earlier, some of which are now coming to fruition.

We could ask NESC to commission a study on how we can enhance the capacity of the regional supports around the country-----

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