Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has rightly mentioned many success stories around Limerick and we must acknowledge that. The IDA has done a good job around much of Limerick but it has not done anything for the north side of the city. It is a glaring failure in an otherwise good record of success across the midwest. The Minister of State mentioned a number of positive initiatives but I must say, with respect, we have heard this stuff before. More of the same policies are not going to change what is wrong in Limerick city, with respect to the chronic unemployment and disadvantage that have become entrenched in many parts of the city. I ask the Minister of State to go back to the Government with a message that policies must change and that specifically, we must embrace community wealth-building as a policy. That is where we align our anchor institutions - in Limerick that would be the University of Limerick, University Hospital Limerick and Limerick City and County Council - and ensure they do business differently to benefit local businesses, to encourage the development of co-operatives and to encourage a living wage through their procurement policies. This is the way to encourage our city for the better; more of the same simply will not work.