Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-13
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Conor D. McGuinness (SF), Waterford

The latest South East Economic Monitor shows that while the south-east region has 9% of the country’s population, it has 4% of national GDP, 5% of IDA-supported jobs and just 1.8% of ongoing major public capital spending. Several times on Taoiseach’s Questions and Questions on Policy or Legislation, I have raised the lack of inward investment into Waterford and the south east, particularly in terms of transport with the Taoiseach. The economy of the south east is flatlining. There is neglect by the IDA and the Government when it comes to investment. Major capital spending in the south east is now the lowest of any region. It receives just €1,738 per person in major public capital investment, which is less than half the spend in the south west and 14 times less than Dublin. What is the Taoiseach going to do to address this imbalance to end the inequity and make sure that Waterford and the south east get the fair investment they deserve?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-13/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-13