Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the €680,000 announced under the rural regeneration funds for Castlerea, County Roscommon. A state-of-the-art food training centre in Castlerea, An Chistin, trains the most amazing chefs and others in the catering business. As well as that, they want to look at food incubator units where start-ups and businesses can come in and start up their business in a place with a lot of support.

I also want to thank the Castlerea enterprise team. They have an enterprise centre that is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., where one can go in and hot-desk. We also have the Enterprise Kiltullagh centre, which is another fantastic high-speed broadband enterprise centre in Ballinlough, County Roscommon. As with the Castlerea enterprises, it is crucial that we support our micro-enterprises. Agrifood is a huge industry in Ireland and it is important to be able to support food businesses. Businesses in the drinks industry have also really taken off we can see how Irish whiskey does so well abroad. When it comes to places like small regional towns, we have a great opportunity to show how we are building on the agriculture and the fantastic farming in local areas and driving local food producers who will also benefit from this type of support.

I thank the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Department of Rural and Community Development. This funding is following on from rural development funding in 2019 of €1.5 million to develop this centre. It is absolutely crucial and I must say well done to the Castlerea enterprise team. I really look forward to inviting all Members in the House to have a fantastic taste sensation in Castlerea, along with the Night & Day music festival that will take place in Castlerea in September.