The recent wave of data from the census shows the rude good health of Waterford city with the population thumping forward by 10% in the seven years since the last count. The other cities in our Republic are also advancing, Cork, Galway, Dublin and Limerick by 8%. The radical changes shown in Census 2022 demonstrate that the Ireland 2040 strategy needs a rethink. It is not credible now that our regional cities will grow at double the rate of Dublin, certainly not while Dublin hoovers up most of the capital spending available. Even this week, almost half of the €1 billion HSE capital plan was swerved into Dublin. I want to put on the Dáil record today the derisory allocation of €7 million to University Hospital Waterford, the busiest hospital in the State for the past three months, when all of the other model 8 hospitals were allocated between €60 million and €90 million each. Waterford is the only regional city outgrowing Dublin. The asks for Waterford and the south east have been set and have been largely unactioned for a decade. A fair share of capital funding and strategic effort is sought but still denied in respect of our airport, the N25, the N24, a proper university, our hospital and proper and effective IDA action. Waterford, urbs intacta manet, the untaken city, in many ways under this Government is the forgotten city.

No Minister, no moolah, or largely no moolah. To be fair to the Minister, in his Department, the flagship project of the North Quays has advanced and I thank him sincerely for his personal involvement in that. It was first designated a strategic development zone by Paudie Coffey in a very go-getting phase of his career. The Minister committed €170 million to an investment that will heal an open wound in Waterford and the region. Waterford's 10% population growth is somewhat artificial, however, as the definition of the city excludes parts of the city core that are located in Ferrybank. The independent 2017 boundary commission report recommended the redrawing of the boundary to bring those parts of the city into the administrative zone. That report, if implemented, would have had electoral consequences for two sitting Deputies and so was not advanced at that time. It appears both these political machines are no longer strategically interested in the issue. The North Quays development has radically strengthened the case for taking up the boundary commission report. I urge the Minister to finish the good work he has started by investing in Waterford city and the region, and to address the boundary issue again.

I thank the Deputy for his question and his continuing engagement with regard to the development of Waterford and the south-east region. As he rightly said, the Government has invested very significantly in the region. I have been there many times myself. Indeed I met the Deputy there on a number of occasions. The urban regeneration and development Fund, URDF, funding for the North Quays, Waterford city, the surrounding county and indeed the region will be transformational. It is great to see contractors and work happening on the ground. That was total Exchequer funding of about €170 million with estimated overall investment in that project alone of over €207.5 million. I am aware the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, has addressed the new technological university directly with the Deputy. Work is advancing on that and on the expansion of the site with the recent approved purchase of the Waterford Crystal site. The Minister, Deputy Harris, continues to prioritise two public-private partnership, PPP projects in bundle 2 for campuses in Waterford and indeed with Carlow.

On the boundary, I have no skin in the game whatsoever there. This is an issue that was dealt with before. The former Minister decided not to extend the boundary into Ferrybank. There are issues certainly with regard to Kilkenny and the region as to how it would be received down there. I want to be straight with the Deputy on this. I do not propose to make any changes to the county boundaries between Waterford and Kilkenny. I think the region can grow as a whole. A lot of work is done between Kilkenny City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council already. We can see that by some of the joint applications under URDF and when we have been there we have seen the benefit of the North Quays opening up that part of south Kilkenny as well. The two counties can and will develop together. I do not see how the expansion of the county boundary from Waterford into Kilkenny or a reallocation of boundaries would in any way further enhance what we are doing at the moment. I say that respectfully. Previously, this was a debate that was quite fraught. There are identities in relation to counties that people hold very dear and I fully understand that too. My and the Government's focus will be continuing to invest in Waterford and in the south-east region, which we have done at an unprecedented level. Boundary changes, while there may appear to be some logic on the map, are not going to do anything to drive further investment or growth within that region. Real, tangible investment in terms of what Government is doing and indeed by the private sector, and the jobs growth within Waterford are to be greatly welcomed. I and the Government will continue to support Waterford and the south-east region in its development.

The reason for looking for the extension to the boundary was to try to get more cohesive strategic planning within the city of Waterford and to give us proper access to develop the north side of the city. That has been a bugbear. I do recognise the greater integration and co-operative agreements between Waterford and Kilkenny local authorities. That is to be welcomed. I still think the boundary report should be reissued. I would say also that we have a second issue which is the recognition of the metropolitan boundary in Waterford city. The metropolitan boundary of Cork extends from Glanmire to Ballincollig, as the Minister knows, yet in Waterford we are not allowed to take Tramore, with over 10,000 people, into an administrative metropolitan boundary. It should extend down, in fact, to New Ross. I ask the Minister to have a look at that. It relates to nomenclature of territorial units for statistics, NUTS 3 analysis. When Government Departments are looking at funding allocations, our population comes up short. If Waterford is to be the strategic driver that the Government has within its programme for developing the south east, we need to get at least the metropolitan boundary recognised properly for what it is and have it included properly in further analysis.

I thank the Deputy for his recognition that there is more cohesive and strategic planning between the two local authorities and indeed in the region. It is important that can continue and that it improves into the future. The issue with the metropolitan boundary is something we can certainly have a look at. The Deputy has made that point to me before. It is within Waterford and within the city metropolitan boundary itself with no further expansion of the county or reallocation of county boundaries. I want to be clear on that. Within the metropolitan area, that is certainly something that is being looked at but that we will assess. I will continue to engage with the Deputy on it. Fundamentally for ourselves in government and for him as a Deputy from Waterford, we want to see the investment that is being put in place in Waterford coming to fruition. We want to see boots on the ground in Waterford in respect of the fantastic developments around the north and south quays and right around through the city itself. It is great to see. We want to continue to support that and continue to support smaller projects. We are advancing housing within Waterford as well with the delivery of affordable housing, cost rental properties and affordable purchase. I will keep the Deputy informed of progress.