I raise the issue of IDA Ireland site visits to my county of Meath and IDA Ireland grants. In 2018, the organisation's staff visited County Meath six times whereas they visited our neighbouring counties more than 20 times. In 2019, they visited our county three of four times and visited neighbouring counties more than 30 times. In 2014, there were zero IDA Ireland grants for Meath; 2015, €300,000; 2016, zero; 2017, zero; 2018, €182,000; and 2019, zero. That is less than €500,000 since 2014. In County Meath, there are more than 200,000 people and the highest commuting population in the country leaving the county to go to work. Why is Meath being treated like this? It does not matter what kind of funding. We are at the bottom of the list, regardless of what it is.

IDA Ireland works independently at one level. The Government has given it a regional mandate to work with companies that are investing in Ireland to move outside the cities where possible. Obviously, Dublin will get the lion's share of foreign direct investment because of the attractions of a capital city for inward investors, particularly digital companies and so forth. However, IDA Ireland is well aware of the desire of the Oireachtas and of the Government to spread investment as much as possible. We will continue to do that in respect of Meath and the entire country.