Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Between 2011 and September 2017, IDA Ireland made 3,000 site visits across the country. Of that 3,000, County Monaghan had only seven in that six-year period, and County Cavan only ten. This pattern is replicated in many other rural parts of Ireland. If the Government is really serious about rural Ireland and its future, it must make job creation there a priority.

Unfortunately, last week's announcement that there would be further delay in the national broadband scheme will demoralise the people of rural Ireland further. It is soul destroying when, year after year, these figures are published showing job creation or, more accurately, the lack thereof, in the Border counties and rural Ireland generally. I do not see any reason the Government should not prioritise these areas. In County Monaghan, for instance, we have two world-renowned leading companies, Monaghan Mushrooms and Combilift, which export globally. These companies export daily and weekly to every part of the globe from County Monaghan. There is no good reason counties such as Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal and other Border and rural counties cannot accommodate world leaders. It needs Government to show direction but unfortunately over the last six or seven years, since the Leader's party has been in government, that has been lacking. I ask that the Leader bring the Minister to the House so that we might discuss the future of rural Ireland and how the Government sees it develop.