David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the major jobs announcement for Waterford and the south east, which has just been announced. Glanbia Ingredients Ireland is to build a state-of-the-art facility in Belview on the Waterford-Kilkenny border. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister said 1,600 jobs will be created in the south-east region. There will be 450 construction jobs and 1,600 part-time and full-time jobs through a combination of jobs at the facility and increased dairy output in the south east.

This must be seen as a very good news story for a region which has suffered very badly because of the jobs crisis. As the Leader, who is from Waterford, will know, we have taken a lot of knocks and heavy hits over the past number of years, so a major announcement such as this must be welcomed by everybody. It will obviously be good for the farmers in the south east, for rural communities, which have suffered because of the economic downturn, and for everybody in Waterford and the south east in that it will give the region a lift and will create jobs, which is what it needs. Hopefully, this will be the start of a lot more to come for Waterford and the south east.

I commend all of those involved, including Government representatives and, of course, the company for its vote of confidence in the Waterford site, which is a very important one, and in the south-east region.