Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak about job creation in the west. I would like to acknowledge the sterling work of our regional agencies that attract investment. On Thursday, the Tánaiste announced that Ballinasloe had won an investment of €5 million, with the expansion of Chanelle Pharma into our town. That means the creation of 60 jobs for 60 families. Chanelle Pharma is a Galway company based in Loughrea that specialises in human and animal health. It is in the midst of growth and expansion. The company doubled its capacity a number of years ago. It has won awards, including that of pharma company of the year, making it the first indigenous company to do so.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of IDA Ireland west and Enterprise Ireland west in working with Chanelle Pharma to achieve this investment. The regional agencies and people on the ground in our areas are crucial to attracting investment into our counties and outside of the larger urban centres. Development associations and voluntary community groups drive investment into our towns. In my own area, the Ballinasloe Area Community Development group has done significant work, including its recent initiative, the Pulse Club, which is a network of entrepreneurs, start-ups and mentors. For the past two years, the group has organised workshops on digital marketing, finance, business planning and speaker events with high-profile entrepreneurs. Two years ago, Michael Burke, the managing director of Chanelle Pharma, was keynote speaker at the launch of the Pulse Club. Less than two years later, investment is being made in our town. It shows what a buzz there is and the importance of networking and bringing communities together.

I also wish to raise the announcement by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, this morning regarding connectedhubs.ie. The connected hubs network is crucial for our towns, villages and regional areas. There are now more than 66 hubs online. I encourage those who may be watching the debate today while they are working from home to make use of the hubs. It has not been ideal for those working from home during lockdown, who have sometimes been working from the kitchen table. There is now an opportunity for those workers to look up connectedhubs.ieand book a desk, workspace or a meeting room. Some 66 spaces are currently available. The aim is to increase this number to in excess of 100 by the end of the year and the overall target is 400.

I congratulate the managers and teams working in our enterprise centres to deliver this network for our towns.