Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank him for taking the time to deal with this important issue. In light of yesterday's encouraging unemployment figures, the lowest since 2008, it is more important than ever that we should not take our eyes off the ball. The Minister agrees that we must do everything we can to continue to drive the recovery and the best way to do that is to create high-value, secure jobs while also ensuring that existing employment is maintained and developed. It is in this light that I wish to raise the issue of Parkmore industrial estate in Galway city. The Minister will be aware that IDA Ireland has been excellent in marketing this hub. It is home to companies from various industries, including medical devices, IT and research and development. More than 7,000 employees commute to the area daily and the value of that number of jobs is significant not just for Galway but for the western region as a whole.

Business leaders in the area have informed the public that severe traffic issues are having a direct effect on expansion, business productivity and the quality of life of their employees. Such is the problem that businesses have engaged in car pooling and flexitime for employees to ease the stress involved in getting to and from work. It is a simple fact that a relatively short commute in the area can take a multiple of the time it should. This problem did not appear overnight; it has become increasingly worse over the past two to three years and has reached the stage where business leaders in Parkmore have formed a group comprising chief executive officers and senior executives of the companies in the area to voice their concerns. The group has agreed to work with Galway City Council, Galway County Council and IDA Ireland in a constructive and proactive manner in order to try to find solutions. There are options on short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions, including changes to traffic light signalling, road markings, the addition of more exits, new bus routes and additional lanes at junctions. All these will help but they involve multiple agencies, including CIE, IDA Ireland, two local authorities, the National Roads Authority, NRA, and various other State agencies involved in planning. Funding is also an issue in the context of the works required.

The overarching consideration is jobs. While there has been movement in that the local authorities and IDA Ireland have met business representatives from the area to formulate a plan, I am concerned that, following several years of traffic chaos, we might experience more years of administrative delays until this matter is resolved. It is simply not good enough that we, as a nation, cannot sort out our infrastructure in a timely manner to ensure that jobs in Parkmore are retained and further investment is encouraged. I do not seek to blame anyone. Like the Minister, I am in the business of solution politics but I ask him, as a matter of urgency, to contact the State bodies concerns to emphasise the importance the Government places on the retention of jobs in Parkmore and future expansion there and to offer whatever assistance is required. I have details of the business community group in Parkmore. Will the Minister agree to meet a delegation from Parkmore to hear for himself the frustrations and issues of the employers and their employees?

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the issue and I have met some of the people involved. IDA Ireland is working hard with the local authority to find a solution to this. It is correct that this is a frustrating experience for a number of companies at Parkmore business park. It has been a successful park with companies such as Metronic, Merit Medical, Celestica and Creganna. The pressure has built against a background where over the past four years IDA Ireland has expanded its employment base in Galway by 33%, with 3,500 additional people working in its companies. The other backdrop to this is I have recognised clearly that we need to develop a much more integrated regional enterprise strategy where local authorities, State agencies and educational institutions work together as they seek to develop sectoral opportunities. It is very much part of my thinking to embrace the local authority as an equal partner in seeking to drive this matter forward.

IDA Ireland has been examining this matter for some time. It has developed proposals and is in discussions with the local authority in respect of them. Meetings were held as recently as last week and, arising out of them, both parties and their engineering teams are considering how this can be resolved. The Senator is correct that there is an immediate problem for the industrial estate. However, the local authorities are developing a longer term solution, which involves a considerable number of additional measures such as adding traffic signals, a widening of the road and changes at the N17 Parkmore Road junction. A comprehensive plan is under development and the urgency has arisen, particularly since schools reopened in September, because the companies experiencing significant congestion.

Mr. Pat Dunne, the managing director of Creganna has set up a group, which is active in this regard, and the IDA is working closely with them. I assure the Senator that this issue is not bring overlooked. IDA Ireland, which is under my remit, is working closely with the engineers and I hope that a solution can be developed. I spoke to IDA Ireland officials earlier and will continue my contacts with them. I will also speak to local authority officials should that be helpful. A sincere effort is being made by all sides to find a solution to a problem that has resulted from the success of the park and the region.

Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his detailed reply and I welcome his engagement with the relevant agencies. I appreciate that work is going in the background but, given the number of agencies involved, there are many different moving parts involved. Leadership is needed whereby one person can pull all those moving parts together to make sure there are targets, delivery times and a timeframe. That would give greater confidence to the employers and employees working on the industrial estate. Many practical solutions can be put in place and I welcome the Minister's intervention in the context of speaking with IDA Ireland officials. I would welcome it if he contacted the local authorities as well because we cannot afford to allow this matter drift any longer. There are solutions and people are willing to put in the time and effort, including the business community. Businesspeople have been proactive and they have approached this in a positive and constructive manner. However, there is a leadership issue with regard to setting timeframes and pushing the matter forward to ensure jobs are protected and industries in the west can develop.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Senator that timeliness is essential.. I fully recognise there are different bodies involved with different demands, standards and expectations to meet and they have to make sure that agreed proposal is robust within the context of the demands which are rightly placed on them.We have to work within that. There has been good engagement on both sides. There is a willingness to find a solution. The Senator is correct. We need to be able to find timelines for interim and longer-term measures and to see those integrated in a sensible way.

As I understand it, the two sides have had useful engagements. The engineering teams on both sides are assessing their respective needs and potential to resolve this issue. There is a willingness to do this. We have recognised at national level that a big part of continuing our recovery is to have a closer integration at regional level. The Department of Public Enterprise and Reform has agreed funding for significant property investment by the IDA to resolve issues over time and create the capacity to develop. There is a commitment on all sides to find a solution. Having raised the issue, I hope the Senator will underline her anxiety and that of many business people to see that the issues which are important are handled in a speedy and effective way.