Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)

The Minister of State outlined quite a bit of information there. However, I was hoping to get an expected timeline for the second phase of the town centre first programme for towns such as Kilrush in County Clare. Specifically on Kilrush, Pobal did its deprivation report there last year which pointed to Kilrush being the most severely deprived settlement in County Clare. It is the only area to be classed as extremely disadvantaged in the whole county. For example, out of a population of 306, only 6% are attending third-level education, one in three are unemployed and 47% of households were recorded as lone parent families. We have a number of vacancies in Kilrush town. It has one of the highest rates in the county along with Shannon but also in respect of industrial units. There is lot of work to be done there.

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