Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Announcements about the creation of 250 jobs were not made in many counties over the last 12 months. Wexford is not being neglected in any sense by my Department or my agencies. However, we have to exploit the strengths of the overall region by building the resources available in gateway cities such as Waterford. The IDA's strategy focuses on gateways and hubs. It is important that we expand our focus beyond the IDA companies, which help to build clusters of strength, because indigenous companies can also play an important role. We are seeking to adopt a balanced approach. We would like to see more activity in Wexford and, given the work we have done over the last 12 to 18 months, I am hopeful that we can make progress over the coming 12 months in respect of the needs of the south east.

I commit to the dedication of our agencies and my Department in respect of the south east to deliver something in this area. We recognise that there are structural problems which do not apply elsewhere in the country and that the area needs a focus at this time.