Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In the past ten years, IDA Ireland has made 240 site visits to Westmeath but only 45 to Offaly. That is a more than a five to one imbalance between two neighbouring counties in the midlands. IDA Ireland is also overnighting most of these itineraries in Athlone, where it wines and dines potential clients and, therefore, has a better chance of landing them in the area. The people of Offaly will not stand for being ignored or pawned off by a State agency that is supposed to treat all counties equally. Does the Minister of State accept that this looks like favouritism? What immediate steps will she take to ensure that IDA Ireland directs more visits and resources to Offaly? To be honest, over the most recent period, it has been a case of everything being the same. We need that to change.

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