Chairman, deputies, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome you to a little piece of Meath, here in Dublin’s city centre.
There is another little piece of Meath in the heart of Dublin and that’s Croke Park. We have been there for All Ireland finals and semi finals so often that the birds flying around the pitch have Meath accents!!.
This Government has invested billions in this country, so that the people of Ireland can have a better quality of life, better education and a better quality of employment, so that the employees and workers can earn more than ever before.
The National Development Plan has resulted in almost €60 billion being invested in roads, transport, healthcare, childcare, training, enterprise and technology.
I am proud to be part of a Government that has delivered almost total employment, has the lowest tax rates in the history of the State and has transformed the infrastructure in the past seven years.
Today, our young people go abroad to work because they want to.
Because they want to broaden their minds and gain international experience in the career they have chosen.
Thirty years ago they went to England and America because they had to, in order to get work.
Thirty years ago young people could not wait to finish school to get a flat in Dublin and find a job.
I remember well the private buses parked outside the National Ballroom waiting to take young people home for the weekends to Galway. Sligo, Mayo and indeed Meath.
(For those of you who are under 30, they were known as Cupid busses, because many of the passengers were going home to their boyfriends and girlfriends.)
But today the story is very different.
We have a workforce that is choosey where they want to live.
Over 3,000 people who commute from Meath every day have told us, through Meath County Council’s skills database that they want to work in Meath as well as live there.
The skills these people have match anything that is available anywhere in Ireland or indeed Europe.
As the local Minister, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that Meath has better infrastructure – better roads, better broadband, better education and heath services - so that the IDA, the County Council the local business organisations have a package that is second to none for any company thinking of setting up in Meath.
Thanks to the foresight and hard work of the Chairman County Manager and staff at Meath County Council you have an exhibition of the real benefits of setting up your company in Meath.
- Better facilities
- Cost effective rental costs for commercial property
- Competitive Local Authority charges compared to other counties
- A competent and committed workforce
And I believe, having lived in Meath all my life, a better quality of life than anywhere else in the world.
The planning for this showcase was well underway before we got the news that NEC will be leaving Ballivor next September.
I am not going to hide the shock and disappointment I feel for the 350 people who are about to lose their jobs.
I grew up with and know many of them.
But I know that the work of Meath County Council and the State agencies, including the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and FAS, will be matched by the enthusiasm, commitment and positive attitude of the NEC workforce.
If you doubt me, wait till you hear from one those people later.
This enthusiasm at local authority level, at employee level and at services level guarantees any company setting up in Meath a unique competitive edge that nobody else can offer.
Thank you for visiting the showcase. I urge you to take the time to look around and talk to the people here.
I also look forward to welcoming you to the Royal County when you set up there.
Thank you
ENDS