David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He may be aware that a couple of weeks ago there was again an announcement of more job losses in Waterford city from Honeywell Process Solutions. The unemployment figure in Waterford and in the south east is still way above the national average. It is over a year since I published the Southeast Economic Development Strategy, or SEEDS report, which was endorsed by all parties, published in Waterford and supported by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The report called for a suite of Government interventions by a number of different statutory and non-statutory agencies to support the creation and retention of jobs in Waterford city and county and across the south east.

Unfortunately, many of the key recommendations have not been delivered. If we are to allow the region to properly grow and develop economically, culturally and socially, we must create a level playing field. An obvious area to consider is regional aid. Currently, the south east is not on a par with the Border, midlands and west, BMW, region. If a multinational company has a choice of investing in Waterford or Galway, there are more attractive grant aid rates available in Galway, which puts Waterford and the south east at a big disadvantage. It is important that there be a level playing field. The regional aid guidelines are being reviewed this year so there should be a progressive move, with Waterford and the south east brought to the same point as the BMW region. Any reverse of this would not be a net gain for the State but instead would be a step backwards. At least there would be a level playing field for the south east.

There are a number of other necessary interventions. We still do not have a regional IDA office, a regional IDA director or a regional strategy. We do not have a university. All of these issues must be resolved if Waterford and the south east are to be put on a level playing field. The Government must not drags its heels on any of the recommendations in my report or the report published by the new city and county council in Waterford calling for very similar proposals, including the roll-out of the dark fibre network, better broadband connectivity and the upgrading of systems, as well as investment in the regional airport, a regional director of the IDA and a proper joined-up regional strategy. There should also be an educational attainment strategy to consider the issue across all levels and how we can increase educational attainment in the region, where the level is among the worst in the country.

The Minister of State would agree there is no silver bullet or panacea for solving the obvious problem in the south east, where the entire region is underperforming. There is no reason for this but it is accepted by the Government that the south east is underperforming for the wrong reasons. If we can get the interventions we need from the Government and State agencies, I have no doubt the people in the south east can turn things around. We can and will create jobs but we need the tools and Government support to do this. One of the clear recommendations I made in the report is to create a level playing field with regard to regional aid, and I ask the Government to follow through in that regard. We cannot continue with the position where Waterford is unfairly treated in comparison with Galway or other cities and counties in the BMW region when unemployment figures for Waterford city and county are so high. I ask the Government to consider the issue and deliver the recommendations made by the Oireachtas committee and the newly-merged local authorities.