Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her reply and for acceding to the request to meet councillors from the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District. I welcome the contents of the Minister's statement. The old adage that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" springs to mind. When we turn on the radio every morning and hear about job announcements, they are normally in Cork, Dublin or Galway. Good luck to those three locations, I do not have any issues with them. However, I would love to turn on my radio some morning and hear about a jobs announcement in Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal or elsewhere. Until Government policy is very much pointed in that direction, I am afraid it could be some time before we hear those announcements on our radio stations.

I will give those involved the benefit of the doubt. I look forward to IDA Ireland's commitment to increase investment in the regions by 30% to 40%. When one considers the statistics I provided this morning - the fact that there have been four visits in seven years - most people would admit that one would not get too excited about a 30% or 40% increase on that. We live in hope. I look forward to the Government keeping a special eye on regions such as Monaghan, Cavan and all the Border areas that are suffering and that will continue to suffer hardship until Brexit washes itself through. I also look forward to the Government trying to encourage IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to, in turn, encourage investors to come to those locations.