Page 41 of the programme for Government states: "The ultimate goal of the new Government will be to deliver sustainable full employment. This will mean an extra 200,000 jobs by 2020, of which 135,000 will be outside of Dublin..." There is serious concern and frustration among people in the midlands over the high unemployment rate, which currently stands at 9.3%. There is also great frustration over the failure of IDA Ireland to deliver jobs in the region. Last year, for example, there was a net job loss of 198 in County Longford while only 26 additional jobs were created in County Offaly and four in County Laois.

How many of the 135,000 jobs to be created outside of Dublin have been created to date? How many of those jobs have been created in the midlands region and what does the Government plan to do to tackle the dismal and unacceptable record on job creation of the IDA in the midlands?

In 2017, 45% of the jobs created in companies supported by the IDA were outside the Dublin region. I will arrange to have the specific figures sought by the Deputy supplied to her. The IDA and Enterprise Ireland are very focused on the regions.