Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

Iarnród Éireann has closed its freight facilities in Sligo, which is a gateway city. From where did that decision come?

There is no university north of the line between Dublin and Galway, other than St. Angela's College, which is a constituent college. There are excellent institutes of technology, which are the shining lights of the region and are propping it up in many ways. We should seek a cluster of institutes of technology and make them into a north western university. The IDA has stated that intellectual property and physical infrastructure are the most valuable currencies when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment or stimulating indigenous commercial activity.

Last week outside Leinster House people from the south east protested that there is no radiotherapy centre in Waterford. I hope they get one but north of the line from Dublin to Galway, there is no radiotherapy facility and no plans for one.

The Minister said that any submissions made to him must have an economic return as a result of the programme or project being promoted and prioritisation within and between projects. In any other region I would support that, but it cannot be applied north of the line between Dublin and Galway and west of the eastern corridor to Belfast. If we go on a strict cost-benefit analysis, we are closing the door on the area north of the line between Dublin and Galway because it will not pay to put anything in place there. If, as the national spatial strategy aspires to do, we create capacity before demand, the people of those areas will rise to the challenge and create the good fortune for themselves.

The national spatial strategy is the best template for this State ever put together. When it was launched, however, I stated that there was concern about whether everyone would buy into it and that it might require legislation. I have given examples where we do not buy into it. If semi-State companies were conscious of the aspirations of the national spatial strategy, why are they closing freight departments in gateway cities? Why is Bord Gáis not going into the north-west? The maps of its network are laughable, the entire north-west is blank.

We must examine the national spatial strategy and ensure everyone buys into it. It should be the prime directive of any arm of the State that any plan conceptualised must dovetail with the strategy. That is not the case at present and that is a disappointment because it is a great plan. We must be prepared to create capacity before demand in line with the strategy and I call on the Minister and his colleagues to do more, on top of the great work we have already done in these areas and, if necessary, be prepared to borrow for it. China is gaining a competitive advantage — it laid 500,000 km of motorway in the past five years. There was not a single km laid in that time north of the line between Dublin and Galway and west of the Dublin to Belfast corridor.

I hope we will look at this region on a more strategic basis and invest appropriately because in time we will reap the rewards.