Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the statement by some of the major employers in Limerick and the mid-west region that they have no intention of pulling out of the mid-west region. Most of them are American-based companies about which there has been a good deal of scaremongering. However, the heads of companies such as Cook Medical, Uber and Northern Trust came out yesterday to state they are delighted they employ up to 9,000 people in Limerick and almost 8,000 in the Clare area around the Shannon free zone. It is a positive move that the heads of those companies have stated they are delighted to stay in Ireland and have no intention of relocating anywhere else. The head of Dell EMC, which is based in Dublin and Cork, has said that the company has been committed to Ireland for 30 years. It, too, has pledged its support for remaining in Ireland. Most of these companies said that they are looking at the skills set available on their doorstep and that they need access to Europe. I want to allay the fears of people who were afraid these companies would pull out of the region because they are major employers. I congratulate the heads of these companies on coming out with such a statement.