The question I will raise relates to the European Union regional competitiveness index for 2022, which has been published. This index cites the northern and western area in Ireland as an area in decline and states that it has underperformed in certain areas, including the areas of infrastructure, innovation capability, market size and business innovation. This is not a criticism of anybody but a factual report. The thing about a factual report like this is that we should look at it and see how best we can grasp the potential and opportunity it gives us to close some of the gaps that exist so that the overall competitiveness in the country can be increased and so that we can move up from ninth position on the competitiveness index for Europe.

There are areas we should be looking at in that regard. I acknowledge that the national broadband plan is in place. I played a part in getting that in under the last Government. A lot of work is also going on under the urban and rural regeneration funds and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is doing a lot of work. However, we need to take a different approach to make sure we increase the competitiveness of this area. We need to look at the designation of the area for enterprise and how we can best incentivise foreign direct investment to come into the area. One of the other glaring things I see is that we have great potential for offshore energy in our Atlantic waters. We have a number of ports, such as those at Galway, Ros a' Mhíl, Killybegs and Foynes, but none of these meets the standards required to service such an industry when it comes.

Let us take the outer bypass in Galway, which we could write a book on, and the fact that we need to join up our railways in the west of Ireland, from Sligo right down to Galway and Limerick. We need to deal with all of that. We need to put in sewerage systems and make sure that land is serviced for future development. Last year or the year before, Intel was looking at locating a major chip manufacturing plant in Galway, which would have brought a great deal of investment and many jobs into the region. Intel did not come but that is okay. At least it looked at that site in Galway. We need to make sure that, when the next Intel or similar company comes to look at the area, the infrastructure deficits have been remedied so that its plans can become a reality. There is an opportunity here to tap into Europe for funding to help develop the region and, in turn, to improve Ireland's position on the European Union competitiveness index.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of the regional competitiveness index report from the European Commission, which confirms that the northern and western region is a lagging region when compared with other regions across the country. Unprecedented investment is now going into the northern and western region. The Deputy mentioned the national broadband plan but there are 42 separate public capital projects in the northern and western region listed in the national development plan. These include, in the area of enhanced regional connectivity, the N56 Dungloe to Glenties in Donegal, the N5 Westport to Turlough in Mayo and the N5 in Roscommon. There are new buildings at the universities in the region. Investments are also being made in water infrastructure, the electricity transmission network and the greenway in the region. With regard to inward investment designations and so on, we are seeking more industrial activity and inward investment. It is gratifying that the majority of inward investment organised by the IDA is now going to the regions outside of the Dublin region. There has been significant investment under the urban regeneration and development fund and the rural regeneration and development fund. Both of those funds have been game-changers in respect of investment in rural Ireland, particularly in towns. There has also been investment in villages through the rural regeneration and development fund. The northern and western region is also benefiting from investment funded by the European Union's national recovery and resilience plan and the Brexit adjustment reserve.

In November, the Commission approved a €217 million investment package under the European Regional Development Fund's programme for the regions. Those funds will provide financial support to build the capacity of the new Atlantic Technological University to support regional research, capacity building and innovation, to support regional industry with enhanced financial support towards technological university gateways and to improve supports to regional enterprise and the delivery of a regional smart hub network for research, training and innovation.

Employment in the northern and western region is up by 50,000 over the past two years. Unemployment in the region is now at 4% so there is essentially full employment in the region. There are some key infrastructural areas to address. Unfortunately, because the Executive has not been restored in Northern Ireland, we are not in a position to publish the rail review. I would like to see an air link between the North, Derry for example, and Dublin. A bit like the bypass in Galway, the A5 has been bedevilled, particularly on the Northern side, with objections and various processes the project has to go through. I accept that there is an infrastructure deficit in the north west with regard to both road and rail. It is very interesting that the vast majority of submissions made to the rail review came from the north west.

The Tánaiste has given me everything that is being done. I accept that these things are being done, which is a great credit to everybody who has been involved, but there are areas, such as the question of the ports at Galway, Ros a' Mhíl and Killybegs, that need attention. The IDA has a park in Athenry in my constituency but the land is not serviced. A connection has to be brought from Athenry to a sewage treatment plant in Galway, which is not the right way of doing things and not the right way to strategically plan. As an example, we should have a sewage treatment plant in the east of the county to serve the Ardaun corridor. We need to take this, put a bit of a head on it and say what we are going to do over the next five years. The Tánaiste mentioned the railway. There is also great potential in tapping structural funds from Europe as, for a region such as this, they are 60% rather than 40% co-funded by the EU because of its designation as a lagging region. The opportunity is there and I would like to see Government focusing some attention on it through the establishment of a new task force or the revitalising of the Atlantic economic corridor task force and giving it some teeth to deliver. The Western Development Commission and regional assembly should be empowered to do the same.

The Deputy raised a fair issue with regard to the ports and offshore wind that I did not address in my original response.

However, there are plans on that which involve the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan, working with the various port authorities on the submission of business plans for the offshore wind industry. The west coast in particular will have to develop offshore wind capacity in the ports themselves. It does not affect the Deputy's area or region but approximately €230 million was allocated this week for the signing of a contract for massive port development at Rosslare. There will need to be very significant investment in our ports to avail of the offshore wind energy and obviously the western seaboard will have to benefit from that.

As regards the other projects and the Industrial Development Authority, IDA, park in Athenry and so on, we are consistently saying to the IDA that we want a balanced regional economic development. Key to that will be continued inward investment. The west has some very strong companies which are good exemplars for other companies to follow in respect of high quality jobs delivery.