Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. He will be familiar with a lot of the issues I raise. As a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and my party's spokesperson on transport, a lot of the areas I will highlight relate particularly to transport. Last week, the Minister, like me and many others here, attended the Northern and Western Assembly briefing. One of the most stark findings of that morning's briefing was that the north-west region is one of the weakest regions with regard to transport. Comparable regions in Europe include the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, which is a territory of France, and Madeira in Portugal. When we think about the areas included with the weakest transport infrastructure across the European regions, that the north-west region is alongside the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe and Madeira is evidence of how much we need to do to positively discriminate, on transport investment in particular, in our regions. I know the Minister will do everything in his power to use his voice at the Cabinet table to make sure we are advocating for it.

The western rail corridor is key to stimulating regeneration and improving connectivity across the western seaboard. In particular, the first leg, which is there, between Athenry and Claremorris, can unlock all of the towns in Mayo and Galway and connect Mayo all the way to Cork, industry to Foynes Port and northwards to Sligo and Donegal. The benefit of it has already been demonstrated, as Senator P.J. Murphy outlined, with the reopening of the line between Ennis and Galway and the positive intervention and success that has been. Knock airport is also an astounding success for Mayo and the western region and needs to be supported. We need to do as much as we can to support that and use it as a tool to help unlock some of the challenges that other regional airports, and indeed Dublin Airport, face in terms of capacity issues.

Turning to regional road infrastructure, the N26 and the bypass of Ballina is something we are both familiar with. A strong case can be made to put forward in the review of the national development plan investment and inclusion of both projects, given how far behind we are as a region with regard to transport infrastructure. We would, I hope, be pushing an open door. I know all of these things cost money, but it would be worthwhile. The N58 will improve regional connectivity and connectivity between north Mayo, Ballina, Castlebar and onwards to Westport. There is also the R312. These are all major transport projects that need to be realised and we need to do whatever we can to help further those.

On a separate point, unrelated to transport, I will raise something highlighted to me by Screen Producers Ireland with regard to balanced regional development. It has an ask for the Government concerning the production of TV and film. It is asking for an 8% uplift outside of Wicklow and Dublin under the section 481 tax credit. We have seen a lot of positive economic activity around this industry because incentives have been put in place. Screen Producers Ireland is asking for an uplift to further its work. If possible, and this would require full support of the Government, it was also recently suggested to me that section 481 should be extended to theatres to support local actors, designers and writers. I thought it was an interesting proposal. Is that something that could be accommodated to support local theatre, the production of theatre and artists through section 481? I thought it was interesting and is perhaps something that could be considered to help support the arts in the regions as well.

I wish the Minister continued success in his work and I will not be found wanting in supporting anything that can help address the imbalance we currently have in the region and to push on and improve the prosperity of the west and north west in particular.