Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of proposals to establish the Atlantic economic corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47515/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both contain a commitment to progress the concept of an Atlantic Economic Corridor which was proposed in February 2016 by a group involving a number of Chambers of Commerce in the Western region and the American Chambers of Commerce of Ireland. 

The overarching objective of the Atlantic Economic Corridor concept is to maximise the assets of the western region, from Kerry to Donegal, and connect the economic hubs, clusters and catchments of the region to attract investment, support job creation and contribute to an improved quality of life for those who live in the region. 

I established an Atlantic Economic Corridor Taskforce in March to progress the proposal. The Taskforce includes senior representatives from the business sector, key Government Departments and other public bodies, and Third Level institutions. 

The Taskforce has met four times since it was established and will continue to meet on a regular basis. A number of sub-groups of the Taskforce have also been established to progress specific aspects of the overall proposal.

The Atlantic Economic Corridor has the potential to contribute to effective regional development in the context of the forthcoming National Planning Framework.