Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. He is right that the Minister, Deputy Harris, has been to the fore and supportive of the proposal put forward by Tipperary County Council. It is about making sure the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science steps up and gives the funding it needs to give. That is what the Minister of State's Department requested us to do. I do not know if the Minister of State has a date for when the URDF applications will be open. Will the Minister of State's Department, as he and the Tánaiste have said previously, look at this application more favourably, considering that a multi-euro development on Kickham Barracks would happen if the Minister, Deputy Harris, commits to that project? A year ago, it was a €50 million development of Clonmel town. That would be reduced to the low €30 million application put forward if this was successful with the Minister, Deputy Harris. We are doing the stages requested and I hope this is successful in the coming weeks. It needs to be done as quickly as possible. I am delighted the Minister of State is here because once we are successful in that, please God, then I willl come to him for €30-plus million afterwards.