Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the good news announced by Limerick and Clare ETB regarding an apprenticeship programme it is putting in place along with Clenn Construction, an American company, to build eco-friendly homes. They are coming in and training people in how to build homes in an eco-friendly manner. We hear a lot about climate change and our housing crisis. More than 100 people have been accepted on the apprenticeship programme. This will go a long way to providing people with the skills to address our housing shortage by building houses in a quicker manner. I welcome the fact that An Bord Pleanála yesterday decided to grant planning permission in respect of an €8 million expansion of the Savoy Hotel in Limerick. This will create up to 75 jobs. There were objections to the project, but when we have tourists coming into the country, bringing development not only to Dublin but also in the various regions outside of the capital, it is very important that we give as much support as possible to expansions of this nature, which will lead to job creation down the line and which will also provide for tourists.

Regarding Senator Ó Céidigh's call for another runway at Dublin Airport, there are plenty of runways in the regional airports as well. There is a great counterbalance in the west of Ireland, of which I am sure the Senator is aware, between-----