There is a commitment in the programme for Government to publish a report by mid-2017 on measures to boost local government leadership and encourage county councils to play a significant role in the regional action plans for jobs. Given that commitment to both local government and a regional jobs spread, will the Smiddy plan to merge Cork County Council and Cork City Council, which has been torn apart by the independent UCC report, be abandoned now and instead will an enhanced and strengthened Cork city and a strengthened local government be pursued to create that economic counterbalance to Dublin?

That is a decision I cannot make. It is a matter for the elected representatives in Cork. I point out to the Deputy that there has been significant investment in Cork in recent years. It is a city that is progressing strongly and favourably when we look at the investment in roads and infrastructure, the foreign direct investment in terms of the many major firms in Cork, and the improvement in public facilities in Cork. The city has changed radically over ten years and will again over the next ten.

The Action Plan for Jobs is now divided into eight regions. The requirement upon the Minister is to deliver 200,000 new jobs by 2020, with 135,000 of those to go to the regions. Cork city in particular and the greater Cork city area have been a very strong magnet in recent years for serious job investment and I am quite sure people would like to see that spread out. I commend the dimension in Skibbereen, which proves that where a community pulls together and attracts investment for broadband, for instance, the opportunities are greatly strengthened.